PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia (ACLU) filed a lawsuit today against the City of Petersburg.
The lawsuit is seeking monetary damages for “the violation of the resident’s constitutional rights,” the ACLU said. The organization says the city violated the First Amendment rights of a resident who wasn’t allowed to speak at a city council meeting because he owed an unpaid fine to the city. The lawsuit is seeking monetary damages for the violation of the resident’s constitutional rights that took place earlier this year.
The suit was filed on behalf of Linwood Christian, who was told he could not speak during the public comment part of the Petersburg City Council meeting in January 2015. The ACLU says Christian was told he couldn’t speak because there was unpaid fine he incurred during his unsuccessful run for School Board in 2014. The fine was paid in March 2015.
“The City of Petersburg may not impose unreasonable restrictions on the free speech rights of its residents to speak during the public comment portion of a government meeting, and it certainly may not impose payment requirements on speech,” said ACLU of Virginia Staff Attorney Hope Amezquita.
“I’m very active in the Petersburg community and it is important to me that City Council hear my views,” Christian said in a press release from the ACLU. “The City publically humiliated me when they barred me from speaking because of a financial debt.”
The suit was filed in the United States District Court for Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond. Click here to find a copy of the complaint.
Earlier this year in February, the ACLU wrote to the City of Petersburg seeking assurance that Christian wouldn’t be barred from speaking at future council meetings.
“At that time, the City Attorney indicated that Christian was no longer barred from speaking, but would not guarantee that he or others would not be excluded in the future based on unpaid fines,” a release from the ACLU reads.
We’re reached out to the City of Petersburg and they responded with this statement: “The City does not comment on pending litigation.”
Stay with 8News for more on this developing story as it unfolds.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
