Georgia sex offenders move court against sheriff who placed 'No Trick-Or-Treat' signs on their porches ahead of Halloween
A local sheriff in Georgia is being sued by a group of registered sex offenders for violating their constitutional rights by placing signs saying "No Trick-Or-Treat At This Address!!" on their front porch.
On September 24, three men filed a federal lawsuit against Sheriff Gary Long and many of his deputies after having served time in prison for sexual offenses targeting children, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.
Christopher Reed, Reginald Holden, and Corey McClendon filed a complaint through their attorney Mark Yurachek saying the Halloween warning signs violate their constitutionally protected rights to free speech and privacy.
The sheriff's office reportedly put up warning signs in the front lawns of over 200 registered sex offenders late October 2018. However, deputies went back to their properties to collect the signs on November 2.
Yuracheck argued in court that the sheriff and his deputies violated the residents' rights by trespassing on their property while placing and collecting the said signs without their consent. According to him, Georgia's sex offender registry statutes do not call for warning signs to be placed at the homes of offenders.
The signs inflicted "anxiety, embarrassment and humiliation" on the offenders, per the lawsuit.
"I understand that there are a lot of people who think this is a great idea, who think, 'Yeah, this protects my kids,' but what they should be thinking about is, 'Does this protect my rights?’" Yuracheck told Fox 5 Atlanta.
According to Yuracheck, his clients' names, photos, and addresses are already in public display on the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s online sex offender registry.
Arguing the offenders have paid their debts to society for their crimes, the lawyer cautioned that the sheriff's drastic decision could be a slippery slope.
"It’s easy to pick on these guys because nobody really wants to see anything done for a sex offender", Yurachek told 11Alive, "But I promise you if this goes by without a legal challenge and push-back, it’s going to get worse."
However, Sheriff Long defended his decision in a Facebook post on October 21 . He explained that he was forced to introduce the signs last year after the local chamber of commerce canceled the annual "Halloween on the Square" celebration, and therefore more number of children were going door-to-door to trick-or-treat.
"My office took precautions and placed signs indicating “No Trick or Treat” at each registered sex offender’s residence in the County", the sheriff’s statement read. "This was done to ensure the safety of our children."
Long said he planned to argue the case in federal court, saying his office was only following state law by placing the warning signs.
"Regardless of the Judge’s ruling this Thursday, I WILL do everything within the letter of the Law to protect the children of this community", the sheriff wrote, soliciting the public for ‘prayers’ ahead of the hearing.