Michigan Repeals Old Crimes Like Cursing In Front Of Women, Accepting Duels

LANSING (AP) - Outdated crimes such as cursing in front of women or children and trampling blackberry bushes are no longer on Michigan's books under legislation signed by Gov. Rick Snyder.

Snyder said in a statement Tuesday that the criminal laws "no longer make sense in the 21st century."

The repealed laws include prohibitions against ads related to sexually transmitted diseases, accepting a challenge to a duel and performing the national anthem in public "without embellishments or other melodies."

Other old and unenforced laws being deleted include restrictions against certain endurance contests such as walkathons and stealing vegetables from a garden. Michigan still has broader penalties for trespassing and larceny.

Another new law makes it a civil infraction rather than a misdemeanor to leave trash at a state park campsite.

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