What Prof. Gates was Charged With

Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. was charged on July 16th 2009, with violating Chapter 272, Section 53 of Massachusetts’ state code, which reads in full:

"Common night walkers, common street walkers, both male and female, common railers and brawlers, persons who with offensive and disorderly acts or language accost or annoy persons of the opposite sex, lewd, wanton and lascivious persons in speech or behavior, idle and disorderly persons, disturbers of the peace, keepers of noisy and disorderly houses, and persons guilty of indecent exposure may be punished by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than six months, or by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment."

What a joke! Did Prof. Gates do any of this? No wonder the charges were dropped! But seriously if you or I had been arrested that day, we'd probably still be languishing in the Cambridge jail!