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Naked Cowboy Ticketed for Shirtless in Public

By Tanya Roth, Esq. on October 15, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Naked Cowboy, Legal Grounds has missed you. The trademark dispute between you and Naked Cowgirl was a watershed and you have been pretty quiet since then. True, there was that report of your potential run for president, but since you had to put a shirt on for that event, we didn't count it. Now we are back in the full glory of Naked legal incidents. This time, it was a ticket for being shirtless.

It seems that the Naked Cowboy should stick to Manhattan (Times Square is his area of choice) because every time he ventures outside of NYC, something happens. This time, the Naked One, also known to law enforcement as Robert Burck, was hired to play at an oyster festival in Port Jefferson, New York, according to the TodayShow.com. Despite the many fans who were taking pictures with the E-list celebrity, complaints were made to town officials about the Cowboy being shirtless (and pantsless) in public.

The Cowboy was duly charged with violating the town ordinance of appearing shirtless in public. The TodayShow reports that it is a violation of local law for any male to appear in public "without being attired in a shirt or comparable clothing." Please note that this shirtless in public infraction does not rise to the level of indecent exposure. That law usually affects the part of the body more commonly covered by pants and can be classified as a sex offense. This ordinance seems aimed at a more cosmetic issue.

The Naked Cowboy has some wise advice regarding dealing with such administrative hassles such as this ticketing incident. "If authorities and law enforcement want to stop you, somewhere in the paperwork there is an ordinance where they can prosecute you for disorderly conduct, lewd conduct, whatever," he said. "Fighting it just costs you more paperwork, time and money in the long run." If found guilty of violating the ordinance, the Cowboy could pay a fine of up to $250.

Maybe the Cowboy has a point, better to pay up and move on. Best not to get a more serious charge on your record, it could really put a crimp in your presidential campaign.

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