Capitol protesters sue state over ban on signs, banners

[Yon_Yonson]

Capitol protesters sue state over ban on signs, banners

Wisconsin State Journal

ED TRELEVEN Saturday, November 5, 2011


A group of Capitol protesters sued the state Department of Administration on Friday alleging that a state administrative rule that bans signs and banners from state buildings is unconstitutional.

The six plaintiffs — Jeremy Ryan, Laurie Harty, Anne Hoppe, Kathleen Hoppe, Jenna Pope and Valerie Walasek, all of Madison — were all cited by Capitol police in March for holding signs inside the Capitol in violation of the administrative rule, which makes it a $500 fine for anyone to display or affix a sign without written permission of the state Department of Administration.

The rule and its enforcement violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the lawsuit states. The lawsuit seeks to have the rule declared unconstitutional as applied to holding of signs and to enjoin its enforcement.

The citations against the six were ultimately dismissed by the Dane County District Attorney's Office.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_4e099d8e-073d-11e1-8080-001cc4c03286.html

Has anybody got any additional information on this dated news? In light of what happened this week on Tuesday and Thursday maybe this should be a class action law suit?