Wow, you Californians are really progressive

Judge rejects case against carpenter, saying he has right to work nude

Published: Sunday, September 9, 2007 | 5:17 PM ET Canadian Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A carpenter caught hammering nails and sawing wood in the nude has been found by a judge to be not guilty of indecent exposure.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Julie Conger ruled Thursday that although Percy Honniball of Oakland was naked, he was not acting lewdly or seeking sexual gratification.

Honniball, 51, was arrested last year after he was spotted building cabinets naked at a home where he had been hired to work.

The carpenter has said he likes to work in the nude because it is more comfortable and it helps him keep his clothes clean.

Honniball earned two years' probation in 2003 after being caught three times working naked in Berkeley, which prohibits public nudity. Oakland does not have a similar ban.