Julie Bass of Oak Park, Michigan was faced with a possible 93 days in jail after being charged with a misdemeanor -- planting a vegetable garden in her own front yard.
The garden consists of 5 raised beds, where she grows squash, corn, tomatoes, flowers, and other vegetables. Bass received a warning from the city telling her to remove the vegetable garden, because they claimed it violates an ordinance stating that only "suitable" plant material is allowed in a front lawn -- although exactly what is suitable is not defined.
According to Treehugger:
"When she refused, she was ticketed and charged with a misdemeanor. Her trial, before a jury, is set to begin on July 26th. If she is found guilty, she can be sentenced to up to 93 days in jail."
Fortunately, the jury trial never took place, as on July 14 Bass wrote on her blog that the city had dropped the charges. However, although the case was dismissed, the charges could be reinstated at any time.
Is this America?
No comments:
Post a Comment