Man Convicted for 'Planking' Spree, Fined $303
What's supposed to be just a funny fad on Facebook has landed a teenager in legal trouble. A judge found him guilty of a "planking spree" and fined him $303, The Smoking Gun reports.
For those unfamiliar with "planking" from either Facebook or Pilates classes, it's when you pose completely stiff in a flat, plank-like position. As an exercise, it's a great way to strengthen your core.
As a social media fad, it's supposed to get laughs and "likes" on Facebook, when you "plank" in incongruous places. The trend began overseas, where people have actually died while attempting dangerous planking pranks.
Maybe that's why police in Manitowoc, Wis., felt compelled to arrest Alexander Hart, 19, after seeing his planking pictures online.
Or maybe it's because Hart's planking spree took place partly on police property -- specifically, atop two police cruisers and the town's monument to fallen officers.
The cops who found Hart's planking spree pics apparently "unliked" those photos, a lot. They arrested Hart for disorderly conduct.
In all, Hart and his brother Ryan, 21, posted ten planking-spree pictures and produced a YouTube video called "American Planking." You can watch it here:
Hart's charge, disorderly conduct, is seen as a "catch-all" for a wide range of obnoxious behavior. Authorities can use disorderly conduct charges to stop such behavior when it's not a serious danger to the public.
Hart's planking spree conviction isn't the end of his legal troubles. Someone in town "snitched to the pigs," Hart posted on his Facebook page, and he's now facing charges of drug dealing.
Related Resources:
- Manitowoc man found guilty in 'planking' case (Herald Times Reporter)
- 'Planking spree' ends in $303 fine, shame (MSNBC)
- Planking Ban: Western Kentucky Univ. Freshman Barred from Campus (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Protest Arrests: When Free Speech Becomes Disorderly Conduct (FindLaw's Blotter)