The Atlantic
"In the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the "Crimes Against Chastity, Morality, Decency, and Good Order" encompasses more than one hundred subsections of crimes. Section 16 says, under the headline "Open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior," that "a man or woman, married or unmarried, who is guilty of open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than three years or in jail for not more than two years or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars."
What prompted this foray into an obscure state law?
A public service announcement that the Black Mental Health Alliance of Massachusetts is running in the Boston area. It approvingly cites the law I've just mentioned it in support of the proposition that young men sagging their pants could spend up to 3 years in a state prison as punishment."