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The Orion

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Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Streaking will expose you more than what you think

Next+time+if+you+are+thinking+about+pulling+a+funny+prank+and+decide+to+go+streaking+maybe+you+should+think+about+the+consequences+first.+Photo+credit%3A+Melissa+Joseph
Next time if you are thinking about pulling a funny prank and decide to go streaking maybe you should think about the consequences first. Photo credit: Melissa Joseph

If you want to be funny, tell a joke. Don’t take your clothes off and sprint down the sidewalk and streets.

On a personal level, most sensible people wouldn’t want to expose their naked bodies to others in a public setting. If those dreams where you’re in school and somehow lose your pants is any indication, it doesn’t seem very enjoyable.

On a legal level, whatever reason a person can have for publicly running around naked is irrelevant in the eyes of the law. Since no one can stop a stupid person from doing stupid things except themselves, here is what will happen if a person is arrested for streaking.

Indecent Exposure

Streaking can leave you with a fun, little charge of indecent exposure. Penal Code 314 guarantees that a person who, “exposes his person, or the private parts, thereof, in any public place,” will be guilty of a misdemeanor offense.

Misdemeanor Consequences

A misdemeanor doesn’t sound like a big deal, but this is far from the truth. In California, according to California Penal Code 19, a misdemeanor is punishable up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine, or in especially unlucky cases, both.

Even after serving jail time and or paying a fine, a misdemeanor follows you around for years or even a lifetime under certain circumstances. While it is legal to get a misdemeanor expunged one year after conviction, this does not remove it from a criminal record but instead dismisses it, meaning you don’t actually get rid of it.

Sex Offender Consequences

A misdemeanor is the minimal possible charge. Indecent exposure to or near a minor will be charged as a sex crime and the person involved will have to register as a sex offender. In the California Senate Bill No. 384 the restrictions can fall anywhere between 5 years to an entire lifetime.

My Thoughts

Any future profession will be able to see these charges and it is not very common to hire a person with a criminal record or a sex offender. Not to mention, there are many other charges that could be brought up, I just chose the most likely charges to be found guilty for.

Going to jail can ruin many people psychologically and leave lasting scars, putting a strain on mental health and personal relationships.

Police reports and media will have the story up forever and the unlucky name will be synonymous with the incident. A recent example Julio Sotelo-Garcia (Hamilton City) from the Chico police arrest log.

So before deciding to do something like this, ask yourself, is this worth jail time?

Of course, that is a loaded, rhetorical and facetious question, but, people have gone to jail for dumber reasons.

Exercise is good for you, just remember to wear pants.

Gage Northcutt can be reached at [email protected] or @GageNorthcutt on Twitter.

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    Tim Bennett // May 10, 2019 at 6:08 am

    Just because someone is streaking they shouldn’t be charged with indecent exposure streaking should be legalized i believe because it gets hot in the summer there’s nothing wrong with streaking the drug dealers are the problem selling their illegal drugs and getting someone hooked on drugs like any kind of illegal drugs the drug addicts steal to support their habit i had $100.00 dollars stolen from me and I know who it was every time he comes here i have to hide my money from him

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