Watch Live: Congressional Hearing on IRS Scandal

Live BlazeCast at 2pm ET: All the fireworks from the IRS Hearing!

Crime

Judge Punishes Prankster By Ordering Him Not to Say This 5-Letter Word

Mar. 21, 2013 10:21am Jonathon M. Seidl

Judge Order Man Not to Say Word Bingo for Six Months

In this photo taken Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, Joel McCain, left, reacts to winning a letter bingo game with a “W” as Christopher Larry, Jr., looks on in their kindergarten classroom at Campbell Hill Elementary in Renton, Wash. Credit: AP

There’s the famous scenario cited in free speech discussions: You can’t yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater and expect no repercussions. Well, apparently you can’t yell “Bingo!” in a crowded game room if you don’t, in fact, have a full card.

How do we know? One prankster in Covington, KY, was just sentenced to one of the most bizarre punishments we’ve heard of for barging into a Bingo hall with some friends and shouting the word, WLWT-TV reports. He didn’t really have a Bingo, but the game ground to a halt while organizers tried to figure it out.

“This caused the hall to quit operating since they thought someone had won,” Sgt. Richard Webster wrote on the disorderly conduct citation for 18-year-old Austin Whaley on February 9. “This delayed the game by several minutes and caused alarm to patrons.”

When Whaley showed up for court, he faced 90 days in jail and a $250 fine. Instead, the judge decided to delay the full force of the law if Whaley complies with a simpler sentence: Don’t say the word “Bingo” for 6 months.

It’s unclear if Whaley is allowed to spell it out while singing the children’s “B-I-N-G-O” song, should he so choose.

(H/T: Yahoo)

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (39)

the_truth_or_not
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:59pm
My Fiance’s son say’s he would walk out the court room and hollor YATZEE!!!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
garbagecanlogic
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 6:14pm
Excellent use of law enforcement time and manpower. Should happen more often. Hope they responded within 5 min.

Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8

The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- TotallyNotATroll
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 6:49pm
  I disagree with the US out of the UN part, simply because we ought to stop giving them all money, but retain our ability to veto **** in the security council. If we stopped paying the bills for them that would destroy them quickest.
  
  Report this comment
- kenboo1
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 8:13pm
  http://www.repeal17.net the best way to restore sanity to our government
  
  Report this comment
IFUDONTSTANDUPWHOWILL
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 2:04pm
someone please explain to me why law enforcement was even involved in this BS. Are you kiddin’ me? Perhaps this town in KY has such low crime rates that the cops truly have nothing better to do. Yeah, I’ll bet that’s it. Let’s see, a look at their crime rates…. 306 violent crimes and 2398 property crimes per year. Yes, that’s it. The cops had nothing else to do. Good Grief!!!

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- WarMunger_Al
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 2:47pm
  Yah, imagine if he would have farted….they would have brought in DHS agents an charged him for terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. Amerika…land of the not really free
  
  Report this comment
- CafeConservative
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 5:31pm
  Off duty officer in uniform paid by the Bingo Parlor to provide security?
  
  Report this comment
1proudAmerican
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 2:01pm
Did someone actually call the police for someone yelling BINGO? This is nuts.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Junter
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:39pm
Oh no!!! We need new federal laws to protect us from this travesty. Let’s call it the Bingo Protection Act. Obama and Biden will love it.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Sargeking
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:01pm
Yell another five letter word”SCORE” over a public address system during a big South American soccer game when there was no “score” and watch the stands clear and 40 thousand people kill each other!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
BehindTheMouth
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 1:00pm
I’m surprised the he didn’t get a dobber or a troll shoved up his ass. Those ladies can get nasty!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Dan_o
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:59pm
What is the kid doing with his right hand in the picture?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
truthnstuff
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:24pm
When police, court, judges, get involved in what is adolescent behavior we continue down the stupid road of PC. The bingoers should have embarrassed or otherwise “punished” him.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
TEIN
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:26am
Irresponsible action of free speech!!! There needs to be a discussion of how legislation can be brought about so this can not…will not happen again….Can someone get this story to Diane???? The prankster should lose their tongue for such behavior….

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- grimjack3791
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:27pm
  You DO NOT MESS with the old ladies playing Bingo.
  
  Report this comment
boss_ross
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:05am
meanwhile in a crime free utopia, a young man was sentenced today for falsely yelling bingo and delaying game play for all patrons. In other news, a young woman will be arraigned this afternoon for writing a check at the check out line which inconvenienced consumers for several seconds.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
txswalker
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:00am
I replied to some one that it was criminal mischief but forgot to point out in some states it has to have a value damage to qualify for this designation.Broken personal or private property or intene of stopping a legal finacial transaction among indivduals

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
OniKaze
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:38am
WTF???

Exactly WHICH law did this kid break?? Yelling “Bingo” in a bingo hall does not cause ANY imminent danger to ANYONE… So I ask, why was this kid arrested? Did I miss something?? If I was this kid, I would SUE THE CRAP out of ANYONE involved…

Does anyone out there know what this kid did that ended him up in front of a judge?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- txswalker
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:54am
  This would fall under a class c misdemeanor of mischievious conduct
  
  Report this comment
- Copper Catfish
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:58am
  It’s KENTUCKY!
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:59am
  Bad “BINGO”s are bad form. It nullifies the game because the second you hear “BINGO!”, everyone dumps their chips….. that they paid to play.
  
  Report this comment
- txswalker
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:03am
  disorderly conduct would probably be a better charge if he was continuously being disruptive. im sure they should ask him to leave first and then criminal tresspass if he did not comply. With the punishment handed down Im gonna guess disorderly conduct only
  
  Report this comment
- Rowgue
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:03am
  The article says he was charged with disorderly conduct. I imagine there is more to the story than just that they walked in and said bingo. They talk about how the event was disrupted and people were alrmed, etc. Just saying bingo wouldn’t do that, not even falsely saying bingo. That happens all the time, which is why they always tell everyone not to clear their cards until they come verify. There is more to this story than what’s revealed here.
  
  Report this comment
- kaydeebeau
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:17am
  Considering the punishment levied here – I would say it was to teach a lesson to the pranster punk – who seems to be like too many other “young people” who have yet to be taught how to behave in public or to think before speaking or acting upon an impulse.
  
  I dare say this is probably the first substantive consequence junior has had in his short life
  
  Report this comment
- 4xeverything
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:35am
  @ East…blue-hairs use dotters not chips. This was in no way illegal but, it was fun/funny and apparently that IS illegal.
  
  Report this comment
- termyt
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:54am
  Perhaps the police should not have been involved at all – not very forgiving of the Bingo people, but once engaged, the police really had no choice but to cite the punk.
  
  Interrupting the activities of other people with malicious intent is a crime, commonly referred to as Disorderly Conduct. The idiot in question shouted “Bingo” for no other reason to annoy and disrupt the game for his own amusement. That’s malicious intent.
  
  Maybe the kid learns a good lesson, though. Being annoyed is only fun for the annoyer, not the annoyee. Everyone else does not exist for your own amusement.
  
  Report this comment
- Eastinfection
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:55am
  4x everything….
  
  Blue hairs don’t always use dotters….
  
  I once did a spring break in Ocean City, Md. where it POURED rain all week.
  We found a BINGO Hall on day one… we just got stoned all day and cozied up to the cursing, chain-smoking, jelly-jar drinking old ladies right away and “worked the circuit” with them for the week. Churches… Synagogues… YMCA’s… it was actually a surreal experience. Very fun….
  
  I digress… point is.. all of these venues had different rules. Some mandated chips & house boards… some let you bring your own boards & “dot” them.. some were combos of both.
  
  Report this comment
- tnman65
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 12:03pm
  It’s not much different than someone driving by a golf course and yelling fore while someone is swinging a club. Just a silly attempt at humor. Get over it people. How he wound up in front of a judge is beyond me. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
  
  Report this comment
huey6367
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:37am
In the real news …

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Armyof One
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:36am
Should have let any one of the blue hairs in that hall, beat the crap outta him with her Bingo bag full of stamps and charms.

I used to call at our Elks lodge, and most of the ladies there can get pretty damn feisty if I called the number wrong, not loud enough, the camera was not on the ball very well, went too fast, went too slow. I didn’t try to piss any of them off by saying anything that wasn’t true :)

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
termyt
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:35am
Seems like a merciful judgement. No real punishment, just a warning to stop being a jacka$$ and leave other people alone.

Everyone else is not your flipping punchline unless you can demonstrate the world really does revolve around you instead of the sun.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- OniKaze
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:41am
  Merciful? The kid (while true, a little turd) did not break ANY law..
  
  The “Fire” in a theater law is to prevent panic which may cause death from fleeing people trampling each other when no real threat is present…
  
  This does NOT apply here… Bingo Hall patrons do not riot or run for the doors when someone yells “Bingo”… Thus this law does not apply here..
  
  This judge was not merciful, he is simply ignorant of the intent of the law he was trying to enforce..
  
  The kid was a jerk, and maybe should be banned from the bingo hall, but NO crime was committed here.
  
  Report this comment
- termyt
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:58am
  The kid was basically told “don’t do that again.” How is that an over-reach? He wasn’t even playing the stupid game. He had no other intent other than to screw with other people for his own amusement. That’s a malicious intent and it’s called Disorderly Conduct.
  
  If I had done that when I was a kid, the cops and judges would not have gotten involved, but I would have gotten a much more sever punishment.
  
  Disorderly Conduct is a crime and it was properly applied here. Purposefully being a nuisance to others and disrupting their activities is not a valid expression of your rights as it infringes on the rights of others.
  
  Report this comment
- john vincent
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:06am
  -term
  u said —No real punishment, just a warning to stop being a jacka$$ and leave other people alone.—–
  hard to argue with this onikaz—
  
  keep in mind the judge did not bring the suit————-he merely handled it once it reached him, so he had to rule-
  
  onikaz u are agreeing with term because u said ‘he should be banned from the bingo hall…..’ which is also a judgement—————–thus making termyt statement true that the judge was lenient—-
  
  I’m more curious what moron brought the suit????????????????????
  It could have been handled much better, on the spot, the caller saying something like : ‘young man, do u have bingo? if not, please do not disrupt this game————’
  
  The mere embarrassment could have served as immediate punishment-
  
  Report this comment
- termyt
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:31am
  That’s a great point John, and a better question. Not why the judge ruled what he ruled, but why he was even in a position to do it.
  
  Report this comment
brigott
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:33am
Um.

Yup.

Okay, then.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
The Big Mick
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:29am
The Beavis and Butthead Cultural Phenomenon of “bombing” taken to yet another venue.
Personally I think the ATTITUDE that gave rise to the behavior merits a beating that leaves Beavis barely breathing.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Eastinfection
  Posted on March 21, 2013 at 11:32am
  lol MICK
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlMvsFMH4ss
  
  Report this comment
DLV
Posted on March 21, 2013 at 10:26am
I have no comment. This is how blown away ridiculous this. Wow just wow.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.