Case Name: Donna MOFFETT et al., Appellants, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1976-10-14
Citations: 340 So. 2d 1155
Docket Number: No. 48260
Parties: Donna MOFFETT et al., Appellants, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: OVERTON, C. J., and ROBERTS and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 340
Pages: 1155–1159

Head Matter:
Donna MOFFETT et al., Appellants, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 48260.
Supreme Court of Florida.
Oct. 14, 1976.
Rehearing Denied Jan. 24, 1977.
Elton H. Schwarz, Public Defender, for appellants.
Robert L. Shevin, Atty. Gen., and Anthony J. Golden and Charles W. Musgrove, Asst. Attys. Gen., for appellee.

Opinion:
BOYD, Justice.
Donna Moffett and Janis Chiapparo were arrested for topless sunbathing on a public beach in St. Lucie County. They were charged with violating Florida's disorderly conduct statute, Section 877.03, Florida Statutes (1975) which, in part, reads:
"Whoever commits such acts as are of a nature to corrupt the public morals, or outrage the sense of public decency . shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree . . . ."
Following a trial without jury in County Court, St. Lucie County, the two were found guilty and sentenced. The trial court having passed on the constitutionality of Section 877.03, Florida Statutes (1975), we have jurisdiction of this direct appeal.
Moffett and Chiapparo attack the disorderly conduct statute on several grounds of constitutional invalidity. In our view none of them are meritorious. The portion of the statute against which Mof-fett and Chiapparo level their attack has been upheld as constitutional by this Court before.
Since the beginning of civilization public nudity has been considered improper. We are fully aware of the changing social values as expressed in new modes of dress, but are convinced that by enacting Section 877.-03, Florida Statutes (1975), the Legislature intended to prohibit adult females from appearing in public places, including Florida's public beaches, with openly exposed breasts.
Since the statute is constitutional as applied in this case and appellants' conduct falls within the statute, their convictions are affirmed.
It is so ordered.
OVERTON, C. J., and ROBERTS and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.
SUNDBERG, J., concurs in result only.
• ENGLAND, J., dissents with an opinion with which ADKINS, J., concurs.
. Art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla.Const.
. State v. Magee, 259 So.2d 139 (Fla.1972).
. Genesis 3:7 (King James) "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."