Saggy Pants: Protected Right or Public Menace?

The New York Times reports that some young residents of Riviera Beach, Florida are fighting back against the town's ban on low-hanging pants:

Two assistant public defenders representing three defendants argued before Judge Laura Johnson North of County Court in nearby Palm Beach Gardens that the ordinance and its enforcement violated principles of freedom of expression and the right to due process. They added that enforcement of the ordinance has focused exclusively on young black men.

Mayor Thomas Masters, a Baptist minister, said in an interview that Riviera Beach voters "just got tired of having to look at people's behinds or their undergarments," but the public defenders argued that sagging pants were a constitutionally protected expression of identity.

Their star witness was Chelsea Rousso, a former New York fashion designer who is now a fashion instructor at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.

Read the rest here. Contributing Editor Greg Beato denounces America's "misguided war on saggy pants" here.