Michigan's now infamous "cussing" law is once again in the news. It first gained national notice a few years back due to an incident involving Mr. Timothy Boomer. Mr. Boomer and a group of friends decided to take a canoeing trip down the Rifle River, some 130 miles north of Detroit. For some undetermined reason, Mr. Boomer took a tumble out of his canoe and ended up expressing his shock and displeasure with a string of profane words, including but not limited to the "F" word. Mr. Boomer was then charged with breaking an 1897 Michigan law that forbids cursing in front of women and children, although a judge earlier struck down the part of the law dealing with women but permitted a trial to go forward based on the children's part of the law. On June 11, after less than one hour of deliberations, a jury found Mr. Boomer guilty of breaking the 1897 statue. Mr. Boomer was ordered to pay a $75.00 fine in what is considered to be a misdemeanor conviction. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has appealed the decision to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

Since this incident, the law has been invoked at least four more times in the state. One incident involves Mr. Jeffrey Richards, who has been accused of cussing in front of children on a school bus in Lake City, Michigan. According to Mr. Richards, his daughter was being verbally abused and manhandled by the bus driver and he used some mild obscenities in his confrontation with the driver. Local school authorities dispute Mr. Richards' version of the events. Mr. Richards has been charged with assault, disturbing the peace, as well as using obscene language. He also claims that all the charges are a type of retribution for having had numerous run-ins with both the local prosecutor and the school district.