Man Faces Jail Time For Laughing Too Loud
Robert Schiavelli has a loud booming laugh. And because it disturbed his neighbors the 42-year-old is now facing potential jail time. Yes, folks, this is happening in America.
In Rockville Center, New York, to be precise. According to police on February 12 and 13, neighbor Daniel O’Hanian complained about Schiavelli's chortles, which were coming from inside the house Schiavelli shares with his mother.
Schiavelli was issued two summons for disturbing the peace and since a judge refused to throw the case out he now faces a fine of $500 or 15 days in jail for each fit of laughter.
If you're thinking there has to be more to this story, there is. Police say the O'Hanians have been feuding with Schiavelli's mom for years. One of the ways Suzanne Schiavelli claims Daniel O'Hanian attacks her is to mock and glare at her son Robert, who suffers from a neurological disorder and graduated from high school as a special ed student.
According to Suzanne, Robert's loud laughter is his defense mechanism for dealing with the taunts and dirty looks from the O'Hanians. "It's absurd," Robert's lawyer Andrew Campanelli said. "My client faces 30 days in jail for laughing."
Virginia O'Hanian, Michael's wife, had a different point of view. "The police investigated and found there was cause," she told reporters. "I think the police did what they thought was best."
What do you think? Is there ever a scenario in which you should be jailed for laughing in your own home?