Last week the city of Brighton, Michigan passed a law making it illegal for a person to “alarm or seriously annoy another person.”
If that wasn’t bad enough, the city now denies it did it.
Contrary to recent Published News Media Reports & Headlines; the City of Brighton City Council did Not adopt an ”annoyance” ordinance. Instead, the City of Brighton City Council on 12/18/08 adopted a Series of City Ordinance Amendments for Prevention of Harassment of Citizens and new related protections for citizens from harassment; and for the prevention/discouragement of harassing type of activity which interferes with the conduct of public meetings and or interferes with the ability of public officials to carry out public/taxpayer-funded public services.
That’s right. The great leaders of Brighton want the world to know that what you read in Ordinance 544 is not really there.
It shall be unlawful for any person in the city to insult, accost, molest or otherwise annoy, either by word of mouth, sign, or motion any person in any public place.
It shall be unlawful for a person to engage in a course of conduct or repeatedly commit acts that alarm or seriously annoy another person and that serve no legitimate purpose.
If George Orwell was alive, he would have a new chapter for “1984″.
The law did generate questions when it was proposed before the city council on December 18.
City Councilman Jim Muzzin asked if he would be fined if he read “War and Peace” in the five minute public discussion period for the city council.
City Attorney Paul Burns said that would not be sufficiently annoying to incur the $100 fine. Apparently, it takes something more inflammatory to generate the fine.
City Manager Dana Foster said that enforcement would be a subjective call by a police officer. Foster also said that he expected the violations to involve verbal interactions instead of the wearing of a T-shirt that upsets people.
The law was modeled after one that Brighton Police Chief Tim Wrightman developed when he was Police Chief in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Advocates of the First Amendment are expected to challenge the law.
3 users commented in " City Passes Law Making Annoying Illegal, Then Denies That Is What Happened "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackAccording to my attorney, who’s sitting across the table from me right now, this is “unconstitutional on its face.” So good luck, city council.
The passage of this law annoys the hell out of me.
I expect the entire city council, the Police Chief, and the City Attorney to issue themselves fines.
If they don’t believe I am annoyed, ask them how would they like to see their rights slowly eroded by a bunch of idiots and how they would feel about it. While we are at it, can we have a camera put into their house to check they aren’t annoying family members too?
1984 was a warning, not a freaking “how to”.
People still think I’m radical for telling them to NOT TALK TO POLICE.Not only is it self incriminating to even tell them your name, it’s stupid.When these idiot thugs attack you need to repel them.Shoot first ask questions later.These type of thug criminals only understand a 2″X 4″ against the back of the head with a stern waring.When is america going to throw idiots like the city council in Brighton out on their face like they have done to the swiss cheesed Constitution that is no longer used by these filthy animals? Find where they live and administer street justice. I have and it works!!! Aim to Live people!!!
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