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A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 22 November 2019
Woman fights charges after stepkids see her topless at home

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Supporters celebrated in
Associated Press February when the 10th U.S.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Circuit Court of Appeals
Utah woman charged with upheld a ruling blocking a
a crime after her stepchil- Fort Collins, Colorado, law
dren saw her topless in her against women going top-
own home is fighting the less in public.
case that could force her The justices sided with ac-
to register as a sex offend- tivists who argued that the
er, pointing to a court rul- ban treated women and
ing that overturned a top- men differently.
less ban in Colorado and The court has jurisdiction
helped fuel a movement. over federal cases from
Tilli Buchanan's attorneys several states, including
argue that Utah's law on Utah, but authorities have
lewdness involving a child said the ruling doesn't im-
is unfair because it treats mediately invalidate other
men and women differ- local laws.
ently for baring their chests. One of the Fort Collins
They are asking a judge to plaintiffs, Brit Hoagland,
overturn her misdemeanor said the Utah case is more
charges and declare that unjust because Buchanan
part of the law unconstitu- was inside her own home.
tional. Tilli Buchanan smiles as she leaves Judge Kara Pettit's Third District Courtroom, Tuesday, Nov. 19, "Women should not be
2019, in Salt Lake City. Her attorneys Leah Farrell, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah,
Prosecutors counter that and Randy Richards argued on her behalf that Utah's lewdness statute is unconstitutional because seen as inherently sexual,
nudity is commonly under- it discriminates against women. let alone criminal, for do-
stood to include women's Associated Press ing something men do
breasts in American society City suburb in late 2017 or related to Buchanan. consequences," said Leah casually all the time," said
and that courts have up- early 2018. The children's mother re- Farrell, an attorney with Hoagland, who identifies
held laws based on moral- When her husband's three ported the topless inci- the American Civil Liberties as nonbinary, which means
ity. children, ages 9 through 13, dent because she was Union of Utah who argued their gender identity is not
"It was in the privacy of my walked in, she "explained "alarmed," authorities said. Buchanan's case. strictly male or female.
own home," Buchanan said she considers herself a fem- Police say Buchanan re- While people might have Topless bans have been
after a court hearing Tues- inist and wanted to make moved her shirt and bra in different feelings about upheld elsewhere. The New
day where a judge said she a point that everybody front of the children while male and female bod- Hampshire Supreme Court
plans to rule in the coming should be fine with walking "under the influence of al- ies, the use of the criminal in February affirmed the
months. "My husband was around their house or else- cohol" and said that if a justice system to enforce conviction of three mem-
right next to me in the same where with skin showing," man could take off his shirt, them isn't appropriate, Far- bers of the Free the Nipple
exact manner that I was, her lawyers said in court a woman should be able to rell said. campaign who were ar-
and he's not being pros- documents. as well. A global movement ad- rested for going topless on
ecuted." Buchanan was charged Her husband was not vocating for the rights a beach in 2016.
Buchanan, 27, said she and with three counts of misde- charged. If convicted, Bu- of women to go topless, A public indecency law in
her husband had taken meanor lewdness involving chanan could face jail called the Free the Nipple Missouri also was upheld in
off their shirts to keep their a child in February. It came time or fines and may be campaign, has seen mixed 2017, and a court allowed
clothes from getting dusty after child welfare officials required to register as a sex success fighting similar ordi- a San Francisco public nu-
while they hung drywall in began an investigation in- offender for 10 years. nances in other parts of the dity ban to remain on the
their garage in a Salt Lake volving the kids that wasn't "It has incredibly serious country. books in 2013.q
Pennsylvanians to get more

time on sex abuse charges, suits

By MARK SCOLFORO sexual abuse victims from victims that made these
Associated Press talking to investigators. changes possible by shar-
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The “This has been a long and ing their stories and fighting
state where a grand jury’s trying process, and we are for justice.”
groundbreaking report set finally at the finish line,” the A fourth piece of legisla-
off a new wave of reckon- statute-of-limitations bill’s tion has also passed both
ing over sexual abuse in the prime champion, Berks chambers, a proposed
Roman Catholic Church County Democratic Rep. state constitutional amend-
passed legislation Thursday Mark Rozzi, told fellow law- ment to give now-adult vic-
giving victims more time to makers. “Justice is com- tims of child sexual abuse
sue and police more time ing.” a two-year window to sue
to file charges. Wolf’s office said he in- abusers and institutions. The In this Jan. 15, 2019, file photo an America flag flies at the
The Pennsylvania House tends to sign the bills and a amendment must pass the Pennsylvania Capitol building in Harrisburg, Pa.
sent the statute-of-limita- third measure that increas- House and Senate again in Associated Press
tions bill to Democratic es and clarifies penalties for the 2021-22 session before covered up or enabled debate.
Gov. Tom Wolf with a 182-5 mandated reporters who going to voters in an elec- crimes against children, “We need to open the win-
vote, along with a measure do not report suspected tion. said Rep. Tom Murt, R- dow and allow the light of
that invalidates secrecy child abuse. Victims of past abuse Montgomery. truth to shine in this dark
agreements in lawsuit set- Spokesman J.J. Abbott should be able to hold ac- “It’s time to open the win- place. Anything less is jus-
tlements that prevent child said Wolf “thanks the brave countable institutions that dow,” Murt said during floor tice denied.”q