Elevator rides are often uncomfortable experiences. For instance, you may find yourself sharing an elevator with someone who smells particularly bad, someone who makes an awkward attempt at conversation, or even a whole group of people who are sandwiched in like sardines. And of course, there’s the occasional elevator ride you have to worry about where you find yourself alone with a completely nude woman armed with a toy gun. If the last scenario has never happened to you, then you probably weren’t at the Hilton Hotel and Spa in Richmond, Virginia last Friday night where a twenty-five year-old woman was apparently found in an elevator minus clothing and plus a weapon by a hotel employee. When the employee asked the woman to leave the hotel, she reportedly pulled the weapon on him, which turned out to be a cap gun. She was arrested and charged with indecent exposure and brandishing a weapon.
In Tennessee, a person can be charged public indecency (which is contained in the same statute as indecent exposure) if he or she “appears in a state of nudity” in public. The exact definition of “nudity” can be found in T.C.A. § 39-13-511(a)(2)(A) for those who are curious, but it is sufficient to say that a person is in a state of nudity in public if they appear with genitals or other private areas visible. A decent rule of thumb is that if you appear in such a manner that you couldn’t be shown on a network TV show, you may be in violation of this statute. A first or second violation of this statute is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 fine but no jail time. A third or subsequent violation is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,500 fine and up to eleven months and twenty-nine days of incarceration.
As shown above, a public indecency charge can have substantial consequences depending on the suspect’s criminal history. Persons who are facing such a charge should contact a skilled criminal defense attorney who can help them obtain a favorable resolution in their case.
Source: http://www.downtownshortpump.com/2010/03/29/woman-arrested-for-being-nude-brandishing-weapon-in-hilton-hotel/
