Is It Legal To Punch A Street Performer If He Scares You?
You've seen performers on Bourbon Street that costume themselves as statues? They are very convincing of their portrayal since they are often painted in gray or gold. They have the proper aging effects figured in as well. As statues, they are pretty cool.
It's when they jump out at you and scare the living beignets out of you that I have a problem. I would have to save my first reaction is to defend myself and then run. Let's suppose that may have happened.
Does the "actor" have a reason to pursue legal actions against a person in such a case?
Just to be clear, I uh, this person I know, was simply walking down Bourbon Street when the statue sprang to life in front of me, uh the person I am talking about. The person in question was not harassing the street performer in the slightest. In fact, the person in question was trying to avoid the street performer because of the creepy factor of living statues.
I would think under the self-defense laws of Louisiana that the "actor" would be considered the aggressor if they made a quick and surprising move toward me, uh, the victim. The question in the eyes of the law is would be the difference between threatened and feeling threatened.
If you were the judge and jury, in this case, how would you decide?
In this particular case, the "actor" was not harmed and laughed it off as one of the hazards of the job. It also made for an amusing moment for the passing crowds on Bourbon Street. I am sure the incident if it had actually occurred, will wind up on a social media site near you in the very near future.