Is It Illegal In ND If You Pinch Someone On St. Patty’s Day?
It's a silly question, or is it? I mean think about it for a minute
The idea of "pinching someone if they are not wearing green" has existed since I was growing up. I mean there you are in school, or any kind of social gathering, it's either St. Patrick's Day or close to it, and the rule of thumb is that everyone must wear green, or you could find yourself pinched. I know you have heard about this, but does anyone know how this annoying infraction began?
Keep your eye out for the leprechauns...
...according to indystar.com "While Ireland has plenty of folklore and mythology, Americans are also thought to have come up with the idea that green makes you invisible to leprechauns. According to the tradition, if you are not wearing green and therefore visible to the leprechauns, a leprechaun may wind up pinching you" So with that, if someone annoying comes up to you and pinches you, can you TRY and have that person arrested?
So...Is it illegal in North Dakota to pinch someone? Even if you say you are just following tradition?
You can't blame your aggressive act of pinching on a St. Patrick's Day tradition - here is what Reichert Law - serving North Dakota and Minnesota - says "A charge of simple assault is often a Class B misdemeanor. Someone accused of intentionally hurting another person or injuring someone negligently using a weapon could serve up to 30 days in jail and $1,500 in fines. If the injured party is a protected state worker, the offense might be a Class C felony"
It says it right on the books - ND Century code - 12.1-17-01. Simple assault. 1. 2. A person is guilty of an offense if that person: a. Willfully causes bodily injury to another human being
Long story short, keep your pointy fingers to yourself.
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