Where Is Your Free Speech Now, America?

If you like to play guitar and sing on your front porch, make sure you censor yourself because you might just land yourself in the slammer for disorderly conduct, especially if the neighbor doesn't like your tune.

APRIL 16--A retiree was arrested after serenading a female neighbor with an original song that referred to her as a “bitch” and a “witch,” according to Florida court records.

Police say Robert Mirabella, 62, played guitar and sang his original composition last Saturday morning while on the front porch of a residence in Wildwood, a city that includes portions of The Villages, the sprawling retirement community.

Maybe he was singing off key and his neighbor didn't like it so much. She became fairly upset because the old boy was serenading out to no one in particular but the neighbor somehow knew that the song was most certainly about her. We'll, if it wasn't, I'm sure it is now...

He sang:

“There is a neighbor who was a bitch” and “I see her now, she’s just a witch.”

Ok, maybe he'll never get a contract as a songwriter but David Allan Coe was able to do it, so why couldn't he?

Upset by Mirabella’s lyrics, the woman “recorded the song with her cell phone” and called cops. An officer reported that the victim was “visibly upset” by Mirabella’s performance and that the song had affected her peace and quiet “a lot.”

When questioned by the patrolman, Mirabella initially denied the woman’s allegation, but late stated, “That doesn’t mean it was about her if I sang that.” As Mirabella continued talking, the officer noted, “I verified the person singing in the video was Mirabella by his voice.”

Sadly, the would be songwriter was arrested for disorderly conduct, however, the jailhouse rocker pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor.


For music lovers everywhere, I say....

bye bye miss american pie....

a reply to: StallionDuck

The Villages in Florida. For people that don't know. It is a gigantic, and I mean gigantic geriatric community where they break std records. There was a huge story about it years ago, and then they tried to backtrack because of the bad press.
I heard the news straight from a friend that is a pharma sales rep. Numbers don't lie.



Who knows, maybe that lady shared something with the guitar player and he is just returning the favor?

a reply to: StallionDuck

Well I imagine disturbing the peace by playing your music too loud is a thing everywhere. I know my neighbors damn dogs have barked so much in the morning and night that I have called the cops because neither my Wife nor I could sleep. Was it BS and she just called the cops because she didnt like what he was saying? Probably. But she prob claimed it was too loud and it is what it is. Some people are just petty that way.

a reply to: StallionDuck

Where does Rhode island come into play?? Article says Florida court documents.

a reply to: StallionDuck

Ah the court of modern justice, the mobile phone, look i have a video on my phone, can I get Rap banned this way, that bothers my ears also.

I cant imagine the volume of his singing was above what most consider nusiance, I can only imagine he will just play this instead on his 'BOOMBOX'

Sounds like textbook harassment to me.

If my neighbor started writing and playing songs outside for me to hear, even on my birthday, I'd be rather irritated, very embarassed, and kinda sketched out. Especially if I were a female and he were a male.

Obviously they weren't friendly neighbors on good terms and didn't like each other, rather had a disliking for each other, thus the motivation for his hit ballad.

You can dress up insults in a gift bag with a cool bowtie but they're still insults. Did you take offense because he was playing music and should be exempt from the law because of it? It's pretty black and white.

I question the entire thing because #1, he wouldn't have done it unless he didn't like her and that's clear harassment. What about blasting an acoustic song from speakers of someone elses? Still annoying and illegal, feel me. #2 she called the cops and recorded it so obviously these two did not get along and she went out of her way to get him in trouble to make it stop. Had she not, what would he be emboldened to do next, write and perform songs about how much she sucks for the neighborhood?

Do you consider these things when you read about stuff like this or just see guy creatively expressing himself with best wishes for his neighbor female friend?

Why are all the crazy yet interesting stories from Florida?

You're right. The last snippet said he address was in Rhode Island.

Shoulda known it was Florida lol

Your free speech stops at your property line. Forcing your neighbor to listen to your noise is disturbing the peace. Calling people names and intimidating them when they are on their own property is harassment. "Free speech" means that the Federal government cannot make a law abridging your right to speak IN A PUBLIC FORUM. I don't see a public forum here. Your claim is nothing more than hyperbole.

a reply to: strongfp

That's where all the old and senile people go after retirement is my best guess.

a reply to: r0xor

I agree, this is definitely not a freedom of speech but harassment issue. Even if he was strumming and singing a love ballad to her on his guitar...it can be considered harassment if she has told him to stay away and leave her alone before.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: StallionDuck

Where does Rhode island come into play?? Article says Florida court documents.

Thank you! Saved me the trouble of having to look up where this really happened. I'm in Rhode island and hadn't heard anything about this happening here.

Some of you guys aren't reading the story correctly. Let me take a couple of parts out and place them right here for you:

The woman said she was sitting on her front porch when Mirabella “started to play the guitar and sing on the front porch” of the neighboring home.

Upset by Mirabella’s lyrics, the woman “recorded the song with her cell phone” and called cops.

It was the officer that said:

An officer reported that the victim was “visibly upset” by Mirabella’s performance and that the song had affected her peace and quiet “a lot.”

So all of that being said... Yes, it's obvious the guy was singing about her. It was only disturbing her piece because of the lyrics. You can't legally stop someone from playing an ACOUSTIC GUITAR on their own front porch during reasonable hours. Especially if you're on your property.

However, based on the information here... There isn't any solid evidence that the guy was singing about her. Sides... It's still free speech. I can call you a bitch and a witch and there isn't anything in the legality of the law that you can do about it.

What happened here was... The officer just used the best thing he could come up with to charge the guy. When they lyrics wasn't enough to arrest him on, he, like many police officers, throw whatever they can at you and goes with what sticks.

IF an officer wanted to, there are many laws to choose from to arrest you for pretty much nothing. Ask any black person.

originally posted by: CynConcepts
a reply to: r0xor

I agree, this is definitely not a freedom of speech but harassment issue. Even if he was strumming and singing a love ballad to her on his guitar...it can be considered harassment if she has told him to stay away and leave her alone before.

He was on his own porch.

The notion of Constitutionally guaranteed free speech is only intended to apply to political speech.

Nobody has a Constitutional right to be an a-hole.

Florida seems a lil nutty about stuff like this. Here's a good one that happened a few years ago. Being someone that loves to cook smoked BBQ I felt saddened by this.

Pinellas County environmental specialist is seen bickering with two men over the ability to control the smoke and odor from their barbecue in a video that's gone viral, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The environmental specialist tells two men at a house in south St. Petersburg that it's OK if the barbecue smell or smoke is contained within their yard, but they have to somehow stop it from wafting over the property line and offending the neighbors' noses, or at least one particular neighbor.

Pinellas County environmental specialist is seen bickering with two men over the ability to control the smoke and odor from their barbecue in a video that's gone viral, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The environmental specialist tells two men at a house in south St. Petersburg that it's OK if the barbecue smell or smoke is contained within their yard, but they have to somehow stop it from wafting over the property line and offending the neighbors' noses, or at least one particular neighbor.

www.orlandosentinel.com...

a reply to: mtnshredder

OOOO! I heard about that one. I thought that was seriously stupid. Yeah, that was one more point against humanity and intelligence in my book.

originally posted by: strongfp
Why are all the crazy yet interesting stories from Florida?

Tell me about it... Every one of those weird "man bites stranger's face off" and "man masturbates on Zaxby's countertop at Mall Food Court" seem to spur out of FL.

originally posted by: mtnshredder
Florida seems a lil nutty about stuff like this. Here's a good one that happened a few years ago. Being someone that loves to cook smoked BBQ I felt saddened by this.

Reminds me of a funny situation in Burbank. There's a small market that has these huge meat cookers out in their parking lot every Saturday, and right across the street is a health food store that gets the insanely delicious BBQ meat smell blown at them all day.

I guess if you can get in and out of that health food store while the meat's grilling and not go get a hunk, you are really dedicated.

originally posted by: schuyler
Your free speech stops at your property line. Forcing your neighbor to listen to your noise is disturbing the peace. Calling people names and intimidating them when they are on their own property is harassment. "Free speech" means that the Federal government cannot make a law abridging your right to speak IN A PUBLIC FORUM. I don't see a public forum here. Your claim is nothing more an hyperbole.

I think you mean the first amendment, not free speech. the first amendment means the federal government cannot make a law abridging the freedom of speech.