‘These are not my pants’ probably won’t keep you out of jail

The good folks up in Seminary, Miss., want to help you avoid going to jail.

To further that goal, the Seminary Police Department posted some excellent advice on Facebook today. You’ll probably get a laugh from it, but undoubtedly, it’s a message that comes from long experience and straight from the heart.

“We at the Seminary Police Department understand that some of Mississippi’s laws may be confusing,” the message said. “We also understand that educating you about the laws when you are being placed into handcuffs may be a little untimely. We thought if we could avoid more paperwork, and you could avoid going to jail, we both win. So, we have decided to post periodic educational messages on how to avoid going to jail. Here is the first of many to come:

“Prior to wearing someone else’s pants, please remove all drugs, drug paraphernalia, stolen goods or any other illegal items the ‘owner’ of the pants may have left behind. ‘These are not my pants’ is not an affirmative defense. Glad we could help.

“Disclaimer: We are not attorneys or non-attorney spokespersons and this message is not intended as legal advice. Please speak to an actual attorney prior to wearing someone else’s pants with drug filled pockets.”