Criminal Justice

Annoying behavior is no longer a crime in this town

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A law that makes annoying behavior a crime punishable by up to 90 days in jail is no longer on the books in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Grand Rapids City Commission repealed the 38-year-old law Tuesday, according to Chicago Tribune (reg. req.) columnist John Kass. “If there’s one thing this country needs, it’s a law against people who are annoying,” Kass jokes in his column.

The law had stated that “no person shall willfully annoy another person,” according to prior coverage by the Grand Rapids Press. City Attorney Catherine Mish says the law was vague and unenforceable.

Mish proposed repeal of the law as part of her effort to eliminate outdated and unworkable laws from city code. Another law slated for repeal makes it illegal for anyone other than a police officer to “molest” a bird’s nest, the Tribune says.

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