Middleboro Approves $20 Fine For Swearing
MIDDLEBORO (CBS/AP) — The townspeople of Middleboro have passed a ban on cursing.
At a town meeting Monday, they voted 183-50 to approve the proposal from the town's police chief to impose a $20 fine on public profanity.
Supporters say the ban isn't meant to censor casual or private conversations, but instead crack down on loud profanity heard in downtown areas and public parks.
Middleboro has had a bylaw against public profanity since 1968, but it's rarely if ever been enforced because it essentially makes swearing a crime. The new proposal would decriminalize profanity, allowing police to write tickets as they would for traffic violations.
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