newsweek.com--When he put on his pair of droopy combats, little did Prince Harry know that his trousers would one day strike a blow for freedom of expression.
But a court has heard that the young royal's fondness for low-slung waistbands is proof that there's nothing offensive about sagging trousers.
The case revolves around Julius Hart, 18, who was arrested last September under a by-law in Riviera Beach, Florida, which prevents residents from exposing their underwear.
Hart, who had four inches of his boxer shorts on show above his jeans, had to spend a night in prison and was threatened with a $150 fine or community service.
But the teenager went to court to challenge the law, arguing that it violates his right to 'freedom of expression' as laid down in the U.S. Constitution.
He and his lawyers also insist that those who complain about sagging trousers are out of touch with modern sensibilities - because even Prince Harry, David Beckham and High School Musical actor Zac Efron wear their jeans slouchy.
The West Palm Beach court heard evidence from fashion expert Chelsea Rousso, of Fort Lauderdale Art Institute, who produced photographs of the rebel prince and the football icon in low-riding trousers.
She told the judge: 'They're expressing that they need to be able to fit into the group that they're with at the time. 'They're part of a community that follows the hip-hop music scene, that possibly is rebellious.'
Julius Hart claimed he had a constitutional right to wear his pants low
Defence lawyer John Rivera told the Daily Mail last night: 'We were illustrating how this has become a mainstream fashion. 'The pictures of Prince Harry had him showing his underwear and the point we were making was that technically, looking like that, he would be in violation of the Riviera Beach ordinance and qualify for punishment.
'So someone had better tell Prince Harry to stay away from Riviera Beach, or he could be in trouble.'
The case comes amid concern that low-slung trousers are associated with gangster culture because of the trend's origins in the prison system - where inmates are forced to remove belts for safety reasons.
Even President Barack Obama has urged American youth to hike up their waistbands.
He said in an interview last year: 'Brothers should pull up their pants. Some people might not want to see your underwear - and I'm one of them.'
The case continues.
Julius Hart claimed he had a constitutional right to wear his pants low.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Wednesday, September 7th 2011 at 1:27PM
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