Man's loud laugh lands him in court
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (AP) - A New York man says he didn't know it was a crime to laugh.
Robert Schiavelli of Rockville Centre, on Long Island, was slapped with two summonses for "disturbing the peace."
Police responded to his home on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 after receiving complaints from his next-door neighbor that his loud laughs could be heard across the driveway.
The 42-year-old was charged with acting "in such a manner as to annoy, disturb, interfere with, obstruct, or be offensive to others."
At his arraignment Tuesday, a judge declined to dismiss the charges.
Schiavelli tells the New York Post his neighbor often taunts him due to his disability. He deals with it by laughing him off.
Schiavelli suffers from seizures and neurological impairments.
The neighbor didn't respond to requests for comment.
Robert Schiavelli of Rockville Centre, on Long Island, was slapped with two summonses for "disturbing the peace."
Police responded to his home on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 after receiving complaints from his next-door neighbor that his loud laughs could be heard across the driveway.
The 42-year-old was charged with acting "in such a manner as to annoy, disturb, interfere with, obstruct, or be offensive to others."
At his arraignment Tuesday, a judge declined to dismiss the charges.
Schiavelli tells the New York Post his neighbor often taunts him due to his disability. He deals with it by laughing him off.
Schiavelli suffers from seizures and neurological impairments.
The neighbor didn't respond to requests for comment.
another stupid thing going on in New York... Emporer Bloomberg decides that soda pop cups need to b e 16 oz or less,... now, this guy can't laugh in his own home...withoug being harrassed...
It made my 'BS-o-Meter' go haywire! Hope I don't have to have it re-calibrated.
I couldn't even finish this article without laughing really hard this is just the dumbest thing I've ever read
Jabba the Hut lives in NYC now? Who knew...
Yes, it's frivolous, but why is he waiting for the guy to come home, opening the window, and purposely antagonizing him? Â The guy was wrong for making fun of him, but all he's doing now is entering his home, and this guy is waiting for him to give him a daily dose of 'neener neener?" Â The story and video tell two different stories, and apparently the judge thought so too. Â Shaking my head.
@DoxieBy watching the video  you  can tell this  guy the laughing  man does not have the social skills  to  deal with this BULLY  any other way. IF the  The BULLY  does not like the laughter then he can stop making fun of the laughing man  and make amends  by saying he is sorry and  the laughing man  would stop.  I have  family members  who are  and  some who were neurological impaired  and  had  to defend  them with such  bullies as the neighbor.  The video  states the laughter  starts after the neighbor looks up at the man  and sneers at him.  If the neighbor would  just  go into his house,or hang out in his yard without trying to look into the neighbors window he would not have a problem.Â
@iamtheauntie @Doxie I too have a nephew who is impaired, but the video only shows the guy coming home, glaring and being laughed at.  He knows the guy is up there waiting to open the window so maybe that's why he's sneering.  I don't see it as bullying, the guy is watching for him to come home.  Maybe he is bullying at other times.......but not in this instance.  You're right, he doesn't have the social skills, but his mom does, and if he was my son, I'd be telling him that it is wrong to go up there and try to make trouble, and he should say and do nothing unless the guy is saying or doing something to him.  My nephew grasped this concept pretty well and he seems much more impaired than this man.  Bullying is wrong, no doubt about it, but so is making drama where there is none.  I think he needs a little guidance.
Guess Jack Napier is alive and has a new identity. ;)
"..... charged with acting "in such a manner as to annoy, disturb, interfere with, obstruct, or be offensive to others."
You know, that's how I feel about a lot of people/politicians here in this state.  Hmm.....
Well if I ever saw an excuse to never move into a house that is so close to my neighbors place here is another nail in the coffin... Seriously... well I would say if a person is deliberately opening his window and laughing at someone that is a little much but disturbing the peace... sheesh... this neighbor needs a backbone!
@Freespeech he is laughing at someone  who is looking at him and  sneering at him.  a guy that  makes fun of his disabilities!  a guy that is a bully   yet  can't take  what  he  dishes out/
The judge should have thrown it out.
sounds like there needs to be a laughing party on the street in front of the neighbors house. This is a stupid.
I had someone out of the blue go after me with a frivolous lawsuit, a civil lawsuit. The attorney I approached to represent me asked me if I had ever heard the expression "There should be a law against that kind of thing"? The attorney claimed there was a law against what was happening to me, and he offered to represent me for free, no charge. I was completely exonerated, the complainant was charged with all costs, including my attorneys fees. Sometimes there is justice.
Off-topic: I know KOMO doesn't control these videos, but I think having an "ad" that just sits on your screen demanding you type "Skip this ad" to get to your video faster is one of the DUMBEST things I have ever seen.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CEEQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Fwatch%2F276438&ei=MM04UdzlHMrGqgH6uIDIBg&usg=AFQjCNFsF040dC9DFNKAdxQLc5UVFEqOkQ&sig2=AXjCFTIsxBgA-BwVJKP-jQ
"I suffer from voice immodulation! I'm unable to control the pitch or volume of my voice!"
Sorry... this article reminded me of this old SNL skit...
Must be a relative of Trump. Biggest buffoon of all.
The neighbor who harrassed him for his disability is guilty of a hate crime and should do jail time, in addition to being charged for disturbing the peace.
@cetj98168 No, he should just have to register as a "Psychologically Violent Predator"
@cetj98168Â BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
That made me laugh.