2002: Michigan eliminated a law that prohibited using profanity in public. This change came after Timothy Boomer, while canoeing on the Rifle River, was issued a ticket for swearing loudly in front of families and a sheriff's deputy. Boomer contested the ticket, leading the Michigan Court of Appeals to rule that swearing is protected speech. Judge William B. Murphy emphasized that prosecuting people for insulting language could potentially criminalize a large portion of the population.