Commonwealth v. Lombard

The complaint alleged that on June 30, 1946, the defendant in a public street "did accost and annoy one Margaret Russo, a person of the opposite sex, with certain offensive acts and language.” The defendant has insisted throughout that this complaint alleges no crime, and that his conviction was unlawful.

The statute involved is G. L. (Ter. Ed.) c. 272, § 53, as it appears in St. 1943, c. 377. So far as it relates to the crime apparently intended to be charged this section reads "... persons who with offensive and disorderly act or language accost or annoy persons of the opposite sex . . . may…