Law Facts | Facts about Laws

A lion at the movie

In Baltimore, Maryland, it is not legal to take a lion to the movies.

Strange law in singapore

In Singapore, it is illegal to sell or own chewing gum.

John Ashcroft can't catch terrorists, prosecutes greenpeace?

In 2002, Greenpeace held a protest against a cargo ship smuggling illegal mahogany wood from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest into a Miami port. In swift response, Attorney General John Ashcroft prosecuted Greenpeace, and leveled no charges at the smugglers.

John Ashcroft went to extraordinary lengths, digging up an obscure 1872 law against "sailormongering" a law designed to prevent brothel owners from boarding ships and luring sailors to their establishments.

John Ashcroft failed to get one conviction out of the more than 5000 terrorist suspects and had little success imposing his right-wing Christian values. Ironically, he repeatedly violated the Constitution including over-turning voter approved measures protected under "State Rights" part of constitution which says anything not addressed in the Constitution shall fall to the state level.

His efforts as attorney general were focused on attempting to impose the right-wing Christian agenda his financial backers believed in. Sadly, these actions were taken against Constitutional voter-approved laws relating to euthanasia, medical marijuana, and gay marriage.

A sad fact about the pentagon

The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary. When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.

A strange law in Kansas

In Natoma, Kansas, it's illegal to throw knives at men wearing striped suits.

Strange law in New Jersey

It's illegal to slurp soup in New Jersey.

Interesting fact about alcohol production

Although bourbon is Kentucky's leading export and its production directly employs thousands of people, it is illegal to buy the
product in the very counties in which it is produced. They are all, to this day, still dry.

What is the penalty for a DUII?

While in some countries the penalty for driving while intoxicated can be death (yes, death), in Uruguay intoxication is a legal excuse for having an accident while driving. "Please believe me officer, I really was drunk."

Is there a difference between crack & champagne?

According to the federal Center for Substance Abuse prevention, "For kids under twenty-one, there is no difference between
alcohol and other drug use and abuse." Incredibly, it makes no distinction between a self-reliant 20 year old toasting his love at their wedding reception with a sip of champagne and a drug-addicted 20 year old doing crack cocaine!

A strange law in Chicago

It's against the law in Chicago to eat in a place that is on fire.

dumb law in reno nevada

In Reno Nevada it is illegal to lie down on the sidewalk.

Strange law in Cleveland Ohio

In Cleveland, Ohio, it's illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.

Where does the idiom "rule of thumb" come from?

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

What animal is allowed to provide evidence in court?

The bloodhound is the only animal whose evidence is admissible in an American court.

Crazy fact about Paraguay

Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

How do you count cards in blackjack?

A blackjack card counter performs a simple calculation...over and over and over again. The goal is to bet more money when a deck is loaded with big cards 10,Jack, Queen,King, & Ace because the chances of a dealer busting increases. To figure out when the deck favors the player they do the following:
The card counter begins with zero. For every card that appears either they add 1, minus 1, or keep it the same.
If the card is a 2,3,4,5,6 you add 1. If the card is 10,j,q,k,ace you subtract 1. If it's a 7,8,9 the score remains the same.

So, a card counter will bet small while they keep count and if their tally reaches +5 or greater they increase their bet. This system relies on the law of large numbers which says while the bettor will lose or win money on a given day over time the bettor will have the advantage and thus be profitable long-term.

p.s. This is much easier said than done. This formula was introduced in Beat The Dealer in 1966 and the casinos are doing just fine. Good luck!

What are the classifications of Treaties?

A treaty is an international law agreement between organizations of state, including sovereign states.

Classifications of treaties are organized by the subjects with which they deal with. For example, political treaties are in relation to wars and boundaries, Legal Treaties include the extradition of criminals, copyrights, and patents.

Treaties are confined to only high priority and important formal agreements. The less formal accords are called, conventions, acts, declarations and protocols.

Greeks and Romans have elaborate ceremonials to emphasize the sanctity of Treaties

Who is the highest ranking military official?

The president is the highest ranking official in the government including the military.

Congress has a job to do, what is it?

Congress is also known as the legislative branch of the U.S. government, in other words, they are the law makers.

When did people in the united states start paying Income Tax?

In 1862, to support the Civil War, Congress enacted the nation's first income tax law. Congress eliminated the income tax in 1872 and it had a short-lived revival in 1894 and 1895.

In 1913 the income tax was brought back and became a permanent part of American life. It provided a seemingly unlimited source of funds to finance ever-growing government, and it gave the government an excuse to pry into every aspect of your life.

What was the Magna Carta?

The Magna Carta, sealed by King John of England in 1215, established the idea that even the king had to obey the law.

Does the UK have a written constitution?

The UK has no single written constitution. Its constitution is spread across laws, court rulings, and long-standing traditions.

What was the Reinheitsgebot?

The Reinheitsgebot, a Bavarian law from 1516, said beer could only be made from water, barley, and hops. It is one of the oldest food-safety laws in the world.

Is it legal to own a Bengal cat everywhere in the US?

Bengal cats are banned in Hawaii, and some states and cities restrict early-generation Bengals because of their wild ancestry, so it's worth checking local laws before getting one.

Which pop star owns Scottish Fold cats?

Taylor Swift owns two Scottish Folds named Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson, after TV characters from "Grey's Anatomy" and "Law & Order: SVU."

When did child labor laws begin in Britain?

Britain's Factory Act of 1833 was one of the first laws to limit child labor, banning children under nine from working in textile mills.

What is the Magna Carta?

The Magna Carta, sealed by England's King John at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, was a charter that limited the king's power and established that even the king was subject to the law.

How long did the original Magna Carta stay in effect?

The original Magna Carta lasted only about ten weeks before Pope Innocent III declared it invalid, but later revised versions were reissued and became part of English law.

Did King John sign the Magna Carta?

King John didn't actually sign the Magna Carta. He approved it with his royal seal, which was how official documents were authorized at the time.

Which Magna Carta clauses are still law today?

Only three clauses of the Magna Carta are still part of English law, including the famous guarantee that no free man can be imprisoned except by lawful judgment or the law of the land.

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and ended legal segregation in public places.

What is Italian dried pasta made from?

Italian law requires dried pasta made in Italy to be made from durum wheat semolina, which gives it its firm texture.

What is Moore's Law?

Moore's Law, proposed by Gordon Moore in 1965, predicted that the number of transistors on a computer chip would keep doubling at a steady pace.

Does Hawaii allow billboards?

Hawaii bans billboards.

Which states first legalized recreational marijuana?

In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first US states to legalize recreational marijuana.

Why are there no skyscrapers in Washington, DC?

Washington, DC has no skyscrapers because of the Height of Buildings Act of 1910, which limits building heights based on the width of the street.

Were pubs closed on Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland?

Irish law kept pubs closed on Saint Patrick's Day until 1961.

Did the Supreme Court decide whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable?

In 1893, the US Supreme Court ruled in Nix v. Hedden that the tomato should be treated as a vegetable for tax purposes, even though botanists call it a fruit.