Texas housewife busted for selling Vibrator to undercover cop

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/12/16/MNGEA3O52I1.DTL

A Texas housewife is in big trouble with the law for selling a vibrator to a pair of undercover cops, and the Brisbane vibrator company she works for says Texas is an "antiquated place'' with more than its share of "prudes.''

Joanne Webb, a former fifth-grade teacher and mother of three, was in a county court in Cleburne, Texas, on Monday to answer obscenity charges for selling the vibrator to undercover narcotics officers posing as a dysfunctional married couple in search of a sex aid.

Webb, a saleswoman for Passion Parties of Brisbane, faces a year in jail and a $4,000 fine if convicted.

"What I did was not obscene,'' Webb said. ""What's obscene is that the government is taking action about what we do in our bedrooms.''

[DS1]

1. "Texas, it's like a whole different country"

/Texas Marketing Campaign

Excuse me while I walk outside and kiss the ground of Massachusetts!

[Bill McBlueState]

9. yeah, Massachusetts!

I'm happy to have joined the ranks of the East Coast Liberals. Sure beats Ohio most of the time. :D

[XNASA]

2. What's the law?

Is it illegal to sell, or purchase a vibrator in Texas?

Is it illegal to use one?

If so, am I a fugitive from justice? Will I ever be allowed to return to Texas?

This is so confusing.

[snippy]

8. If dangerous dildoes are illegal in Texas, why is Tom DeLay living there?

[grannylib]

14. Hee hee, good one! She shoulda put a donut on the thing first....

[Dr.Phool]

18. He's not a dildo

But he's a real prick

[snippy]

39. You're right. My mistake.

[alarimer]

26. more than 5

I believe that it is illegal to own more than 5. I have no idea where I learned this. I thinking selling them might be illegal (apparently that is what she was arrested for). Ridiculous. They are going to waste the court's time with a stupid case like this? Maybe cops should go after real criminals.

[greekspeak]

69. May I ask?

What anal retentive prude sat around and pored over the legal limit on dildos? "Well, four is OK; I mean I have 4. But 5's the debil!" 4 is normal but 5 is perverse? Sheesh. Only in America, the Land of the Free-like.

[brainshrub]

3. WTF????

Drug agents busted her?????

What's next, are we gonna have Homeland Security come down on a drugstore for selling condoms to teens?

This can't possibly be a real story.

[Warren Stuart]

38. Rock and Roll is next n/t

[Racenut20]

4. Just when we think Florida is the dumbest place to live.........

[SlavesandBulldozers]

5. unbelievable

"Don't mess with Texas" is right. Soon they'll be kicking in your door to make you sure your IQ isnt too high and to make sure you have the requisite cowboy hat and framed George Bush picture in your foyer. WHite trash country.

[BiggJawn]

29. No cowboy hat, but I DO have a picture of Lance on the wall...

But I don't live in Texas, either....

[1a2b3c]

55. Big bad john

Sorry, mentioning texas and reading your name popped the song in my head.

[snippy]

6. Bush said he would make America a safer place.

[MrBenchley]

7. Tonight on Walker Texas Ranger...

Walker finds unexpected intrigue when a serial masturbator puts Duracells in the Pink Pulsator and switches it on at Ranger headquarters....

Another proud moment for the Lone Star State! Last week they were arguing to the Supreme Court that prosecutors and prosecution witnesses ought to have the right to lie in court...and this week it's the Dildo Police in Action.

[XanaDUer]

13. Oh, you are wicked!

And funny.

I often think, which place is worse: TX or FL?

[MrBenchley]

17. Hard to say...

Is it a coincidence that the idiot sons of a well-known crime family held the governorships of those two states? I think not.

[Bronco69]

10. I think it's the wording...

When I moved here to Dallas 3 1/2 years ago someone told me that you can't buy a dildo in Texas if you call it a dildo. I know it sounds strange, but you have to refer to it as an instructional aid and its only purpose is for education. I agree it's the most stupid law on the books.

[cjbuchanan]

11. They made a movie about the Texas vibrator law

It is called Dildo Diaries. Molly Ivins is one of the people that discuss the issue in the film. Here is a link about the movie:

http://www.dildodiaries.com/

enjoy

[liberalhistorian]

12. Jeebus, that is the dumbest

stupidest, most ludicrous, ridiculous, nutball, fucking thing I've ever heard of! Nice to know they're spending their law enforcement time wisely!

Here in Ohio, it's illegal to buy/own a vibrator, which means I am (horrors!) a lawbreaker. The thing is, though, not even in Ohio (except for maybe the Cincinnati area) will the police waste their time with such stupid senseless shit.

And just what the fuck is it with governments like Texas, Florida, Ohio, etc., but ESPECIALLY Texas, thinking they have the right to determine what people do in the privacy of their own home and bedroom? What the fuck business is it of theirs? And why the hell should anyone go to jail for selling a dildo or other sex aids, for God's sake? There are far worse crimes that really hurt people that don't get the kind of sentence she's facing. Nice to know their priorities are in order.

[pstokely]

81. which states is it illegal to own a dildo in

nt

[demnan]

15. Not only was she busted

but they were running sting operations to do it?

That is too stupid. I didn't believe they could be so backward.

[LuminousX]

16. Texas Tax dollars at work

They could be looking for biological weapons coming over the border, but dammit, women might be getting sexual satisfaction from an apparatus! That must stop!!

We must liberate Texas - a state that said it was okay for man and beast to be together, but not man and man. Texas, hold on, sister state, we will liberate you, soon enough!!

[slinkerwink]

19. Texas is so backwards that way........

I once transported a dildo over the Texas state line, and in the airport, the security guard lady searched my backpack and found it---she could've arrested me but she smiled and let me go.


I've always thought that Texas was definitely backwards when it comes to vibrators and enjoying sex.

[TacticalPeek]

20. "definitely backwards"

Aw now, be nice.

Texas men are . . . um, sensitive . . . about this issue.

[nolabels]

21. This just proves the world is gone beyond nutty as far as I can see

In these United states we have a serial groper as a governor, a Dildo pararnoid state of Texas and a ex-coke head for president. So many things that sound to crazy to me, that its hard to think about them all.

[opihimoimoi]

23. And we gonna bring these kinds of laws to Iraq via the GOP?

Are we into troubles!

[OneTwentyoNine]

22. Welcome to the world of Repigs lady

Have you voted for any lately? Did your vote for Chimpboy? Well,this is their NWO. If Bush gets elected in 04 your better really hold on to your ass,you won't believe what they have in store for you.

David

[WoodrowFan]

24. Pickles or Barbara Bush

Thinks Pickles, or Ma Bush, or the twins own one, or more, of these devilish devices??

[Beaker]

52. I'm guessing that the twins have a large double-ended dong...

that they like to play with together...in a vat of vanilla custard...
but so much for my masturbatory fantasies.

[creativelcro]

25. watch out for those DILDOS OF MASS DESTRUCTION!

[SoCalDem]

27. Can you imagine the hassle her kids are undergoing??

I can hear it now..

"We'll pray for your mom, the perv "..

Ahhhh Texas.. No thanks

[Hell Hath No Fury]

28. Don't get me started on Texas "law enforcement"....

My sister is in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and has experienced first hand the utter insanity of those who wear a badge in that state.

My sister has had many friends and family members arrested for not paying a parking ticket (?!?!) -- ONE ticket alone is enough to get a warrant for your arrest. And if you are picked up you go to jail until you can make bail -- FOR A F*CKING PARKING TICKET! It seems this is a common way in Texas to "shake down" folks for extra money for the department.

My nephew was recently stopped by the police for no probable cause (it appears you don't need that there). They went through the car and found golf clubs in the trunk and some pawn slips, which belonged to a friend of his. They took him to jail because he MIGHT have been involved with burglary (even though they admit they had no reports of a burglary involving golf clubs to conclude this). Once there, they discovered he had an outstanding warrent for an upaid parking ticket in Ft. Worth.

They put him in a room, without access to an attorney, and for hours tried to get him to sign a piece of paper that said he had burglarized a home. Thankfully, my nephew is smart and refused to do so. That pissed them off, so they kept at him.

His one call was to his Mom -- an ex-legal assistant -- who got to the station as quickly as she could. After grilling the detectives involved with her son's case, she found out that the "confession" they were demanding he sign WAS FOR ANOTHER CASE ENTIRELY!!!!!

Long story short, he got out in a few days and everything was cleared up, but if he had been anyone else, a person intimidated by the police or too scared to fight back, he could have signed his life away that night on bogus charges.

Clearly the police in Texas have WAY too much time on their hands.

I wanted to add on edit that during me recent visit to my sister I saw car after car oulled over by the cops and EVERY single driver was latino, in an area that is predominantly white. Racial profiling at work.

[ctex]

30. They're legal in Texas if they don't look much like a penis

There are a dozen or so stores in Houston that openly sell vibrators. The rules seem to be -- (1) don't call them dildos; and (2) make sure they don't look like a penis (metallic colors are big in Houston)

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ctex]

71. Those look like real dicks and thus would be illegal

n/t

[Skittles]

31. there are hundreds of titty bars in Dallas

but vibrators are obscene. Can you tell what gender rules here?

[eissa]

32. Oh, geez

I guess women having orgasms is a threat to national security. This reminds me of the time Pee-Wee Herman was arrested for pleasuring himself in a porn theatre in FL. What's with these two states?!

[snippy]

41. That is probably what Bush tells the Lump in the Bed.

[ProfessorGAC]

42. You Got It, eissa!

We can't have women having orgasms. Next thing you know, nobody will be paying attention, and the terrorists will just waltz in and take everything over. Then, you'll be wearing a burqua, but no shoes, and praying twice a day while guys with sticks stand over you.

See. Orgasms lead to opresssion. Don't forget that. The gov't is just here to protect you.
The Professor

[mainer]

33. This weird law mentioned in "Vagina Monologues"

Yes indeed, it is illegal to sell dildoes and vibrators in Texas according to Beth Ensler, who wrote "Vagina Monologues." (Yours truly happened to appear in the local production.)

Whatta state. You can legally drive around with a beer and a shotgun in your pickup truck. But try to sell a vibrator, and straight to jail you go.

[GOPisEvil]

43. Uh...correction.

You cannot drive around with an open beer in your truck. Well, you can, but it's illegal.

Yes, this law is idiotic, but let's try to stick to the truth when bashing my state.

Oh, the shotgun has to be unloaded too. ;-)

[mainer]

45. thank you

I heard that "shotgun and open beer can" thing years ago. Maybe Texas has changed it since!

[mainer]

48. Hey, you CAN drive around with a loaded gun in TX

According to this website:

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/nation/guns/part1/gunside1.html

[GOPisEvil]

51. Hmm...I believe the gun has to be inaccessible to the driver though.

For example, in the trunk.

On edit - I really do have to get out of this state. I just got spammed by Shrub's mass e-mail listing all the Republicans in power in this state and their leadership roles in his 'election' campaign. :puke:

[elfwitch]

53. You can move to San Fran when we go!!!

We could caravan out there.

[GOPisEvil]

54. Sounds like a winner to me!

Are you sure the hubster won't mind? ;-)

[elfwitch]

57. We could use a babsitter/nanny...

How are your childcare skills?
:silly:

At least you'd have a job when you got there, right?

[GOPisEvil]

58. Eh, er...I haven't killed a baby yet.

:dunce:

I'd rather cook, if it's all the same. ;-)

[TreasonousBastard]

34. "...daring to join the Chamber of Commerce"...

is the trick.

Even here in Joisey the legal sex trades keep a very low key existence (to say nothing of the illegal ones).

It doesn't take much for the local Puritans to start picketing and filling the offices of the town and county legislators to bring "morality" back.

Methinks some shit was stirred when she tried to grow her business.

Not that I blame her, of course, but once her business became publicized, I can imagine pulpits blazing, protests formed, and all hell breaking loose in that little town.

And loud demands for the police to "do something" about this crass, illegal, and immoral cancer in their midst.

"America, what a country!"
Yakov Smirnoff

[Buns_of_Fire]

35. Law & Order: Undercover Dildo Patrol

Coming this fall on Comedy Central, right after Reno: 911

[beyurslf]

36. YOu would think TX would have learned this summer

that they can't dictate morality on private lives. Sheesh!

[canuckagainstBush]

37. "Freedom"

I always wonder what crazy antiquated southern law I'll hear about next. Freedom and individualism, my ass! :eyes:

[elfwitch]

40. Dallas (especially) is a hotbed of Puritanical absurdity...

I have said on many occasions how stupid and Puritanical north Texas is. There is a case where a comic shop was charged for selling obscenity to an ADULT! (http://www.cbldf.org/pr/001212-texas-trial.shtml)

There is one corner in Dallas (Skillman and Abrams) where there are at least 6 liquor stores on one four-way intersection. However if you drive six blocks West you can't even buy beer or wine at a grocery store.

The Southern Baptists have taken over and let me tell you, it ain't pretty!

This charge for selling sex toys is just another example of how the Religious Right has taken over. I simply cannot understand why these people cannot mind their own damn business. They are convinced that anyone that doesn't pray to the same version of Jesus that they do is going straight to hell anyway. Why the FUCK can't they let the rest of us "sinner" live in a little peace. It is like they haven't got the ability to change the dial, shop someplace else, turn off the TV, avoid that theater, not read that book, etc. Are they so WEAK that merely having these things in the world provides too much of a temptation for them that they have to remove it?

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!!!!

[eissa]

62. I don't get it

why are they bashing the radical Islamists/Osama bin Laden? They seem to have a lot in common with them/him.

[Ilsa]

74. Are your batteries low?

You sound, um, stressed.

Of course, next thing you know, RR will outlaw large batts.

[GreenPartyVoter]

44. What a waste of $$$

to be setting up stings for this.

She sold them a vibrator, not a dog or small child to have sex with.

[mainer]

47. The line from "Vagina Monologues"

"One participant noted it’s illegal to sell vibrators in the following states: Alabama, Texas, Ohio, Georgia and Arkansas. She added that it’s legal to sell guns in all these states, but that no one had ever heard of assault with a deadly vibrator."

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

49. I would love for this to go to the USSC

The porn industry has the money to challenge these laws and besides, I'd LOVE to see FAT TONY'S opinions :evilgrin:

[BellTry]

50. ALL states will soon deal with this shit

Asscroft has inidicated that he will be soon enforcing FEDERAL "obscenity" statues. This means all states will soon get to know what it is like living in the hell holes that are Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and to a lesser extent Florida.

[maveric]

56. But you can sell an assault rifle, and legally have sex with a cow...

in Texas! :wtf:
Dildos are the devils tool ya know!

[rumguy]

59. I can't stand Texas and Texans, I know there are some good ones

like Steve Earle, and most of Austin...and probably some El Paso and San Antonio as well...but the rest of it is white trash backwards loud phony idiots. When I lived in New Mexico there was a great saying they had in response to the Texans flooding into their state to ski - "If God had meant Texans to ski he would have made bullshit white."

When I lived in Montana Texans were always getting butsted for coming into the state to try and hunt, and shooting cows and horses thinking they were elk or moose. My fav. was the Texan that was busted for shooting Meodowlarks, the state bird, thinking they were partridges. He had like 10 of them (that may have been a New Yorker, but it could have been a Texan just as easily). A lot of Texans are phony wanna-bes...

[elfwitch]

60. I'm not going to completely disagree with you...

The type you described are mostly North and East Texans. The talk slow and stupid. They make the rest of us look like fricken hicks.

South Texas (San Antonio, Austin, etc.) is quite different. Somewhat backwards (as compared to the Eastern and Western states) but not as bad as the rest of the state.

Just my dos pesos!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

66. Oh I don't know...I love Dallas women...some great lesbian bars there!

And man are they GORGEOUS!!! The men...you are probably right :D (some anyway)

[snippy]

61. Anyone know whether laws like this help prevent Senator on dog sex?

[Le Taz Hot]

63. Wait. A year in jail and a $4,000 fine

for a vibrator????? You have GOT to be kidding me. Good goddess, only in Texas. :eyes:

[amber dog democrat]

64. we dont cotten to preverts

in these here parts. all them deviants and lib'rals - are warned

Texas has always had a broad mean streak -socially and politically.

Its not a safe place to step out of line.

Look at the bigoted newts who tend to get elected to state office here.

[ComerPerro]

67. I think you are some kind of prevert

I think Herr Ashcroft found out about your preversions, and that you were organizing some sort of mutiny of preverts.

[Wapsie B]

65. Aren't there other states

with similar laws? Like Alabama maybe?

[littlejoe]

68. So, did they try it? Or couldn't they figure out how?

[ctex]

70. She violated a state law, not a local ordinance

Texas Penal Code Section 43:23 which reads as follows

Sec. 43.23. OBSCENITY. (a) A person commits an offense if, knowing its content and character, he wholesale promotes or possesses with intent to wholesale promote any obscene material or obscene device.
~ (b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a state jail felony.
~ (c) A person commits an offense if, knowing its content and character, he:
~ ~ (1) promotes or possesses with intent to promote any obscene material or obscene device; or
~ ~ (2) produces, presents, or directs an obscene performance or participates in a portion thereof that is obscene or that contributes to its obscenity.
~ (d) An offense under Subsection (c) is a Class A misdemeanor.
~ (e) A person who promotes or wholesale promotes obscene material or an obscene device or possesses the same with intent to promote or wholesale promote it in the course of his business is presumed to do so with knowledge of its content and character.
~ (f) A person who possesses six or more obscene devices or identical or similar obscene articles is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same.
~ (g) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section, that the person who possesses or promotes material or a device proscribed by this section does so for a bona fide medical, psychiatric, judicial, legislative, or law enforcement purpose.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Spirochete]

72. Vibrators are a gateway device..

a large percentage of people who start with vibrators soon graduate to vibrating beds and pornographic videos. It's best to nip this in the bud.

[uhhuh]

73. Here's the statute

http://www.dumblaws.com/citations/citation.php?LawID=1017

This site is hours of fun and outrage.

I especially like this one, also from Texas:

A recently passed anticrime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed

[Cronus Protagonist]

76. Thanks for the link (eom)

FUCK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[Scott Lee]

75. If women can orgasm, then the terrorists have won.

Thanks George.

[Iverson]

80. haw haw haw!

:D

[St. Jarvitude]

77. THIS IS WHAT OUR NARCOTICS OFFICERS ARE DOING??!?!!?

Taxpayers pay for extra "drug-control" budgeting, and it's going towards busting women for selling vibrators? :wtf:

The sad thing is that this doesn't really shock me, given the degeneration of America the last few years... *sigh*

[the_acid_one]

78. For an amusing protest....

....I think a bunch of people should mail vibrators to the police department that made the arrest.

[stickdog]

79. I hope they give that lowlife the "magic fingers" chair! (nt)

[opihimoimoi]

82. Ad for SEX COP, wanted: person with adult mind for a position with the

Dallas Porn Squad.

Pose a an undercover prostitute, or, a customer for sex toys. Earn big bucks and have your jollies at the same time.

[EV1Ltimm]

83. help! get me the hell out of here!!

i'm in dallas on vacation!

now i remember why i left...

[BackDoorMan]

84. Me like vibrators!