On January 14, 2024, the annual Pantless Light Rail Ride returns to Arizona after a three-year hiatus. The event encourages individuals to ride the light rail wearing only tops and underwear/boxers. This unique event began in Arizona in 2009 and was inspired by similar Pantless public transportation events across the globe. Many organizers of the event seek to promote body positivity and wish to challenge societal norms. Hundreds of people normally participate, and this upcoming Arizona event currently has over 800 people RSVP’d to attend in January.
If you plan on attending this event, it is important to understand the laws pertaining to Indecent Exposure in Arizona in order to participate in the event’s protocol of taking your pants off while simultaneously avoiding getting handcuffs on. Decent Exposure can easily become Indecent Exposure, which is a violation of Arizona criminal law. Arizona Revised Statute 13-402 outlines how a person can commit Indecent Exposure “if he or she exposes his or her genitals or anus or she exposes the areola or nipple of her breast or breasts and another person is present, and the defendant is reckless about whether the other person, as a reasonable person, would be offended or alarmed by the act.” Although the law makes an exception for indecent exposure for the “act of breast-feeding by a mother,” Arizona state legislators have not yet carved out an exception to Indecent Exposure to participants of an annual Pantless Light Rail Ride.
The punishment for Indecent Exposure varies based on the age of the victim being exposed to, as well as the individual offender’s criminal history. Indecent exposure to a person fifteen or more years of age is a class 1 misdemeanor, whereas Indecent Exposure to a person who is under fifteen years of age is a class 6 felony. Class 1 misdemeanors are the most serious type of misdemeanor crime in the State of Arizona. They are punishable by up to 6 months in jail, up to 3 years of probation, and up to $2500 in fines. Class 6 felonies are the lowest level of felony in the State of Arizona. For an individual with no criminal history, class 6 felonies are punishable by prison ranging from 4 months to 2 years or, in the alternative, by up to 3 years of probation, and potentially up to 12 months in jail as a term of probation.
Educating yourself on Arizona’s criminal laws prior to participation in a Pantless Light Rail Ride may help with avoiding negative interactions with law enforcement as well as potential criminal charges. However, if you do find yourself in a position where the handcuffs come on after the pants come off, and you need legal assistance, Castillo Law is available to help 24/7 at 602-795-6701.