Repeatedly annoying or insulting someone in Brighton could get you fined.
The City Council Thursday passed ordinance amendments aimed at protecting individuals from harassment, intimidation or interference by others in their daily activities.
City Manager Dana Foster stressed that the amended ordinance wasn’t adopted to muzzle anyone or infringe on their rights.
The ordinance makes it a civil infraction 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.” It further makes it illegal to “insult, accost, molest or otherwise annoy, either by word of mouth, sign or motion any person in any public place.”
Brighton Police Chief Tom Wightman said violating the ordinance is punishable by fines only. He also said it’s not about a single incident but involves repeated acts. (Source-Ann Arbor News)
They seriously don’t see this as infringing on a person’s rights? What purpose does an ordinance like this serve except to provide an end-around the 1st Amendment? Does anyone think this will survive its first court challenge?
Who will be the arbiter of what is annoying? What exactly constitutes an interference? Will Jahovah’s Witnesses be fined under this ordinance? How about those who badger me to register to vote outside the grocery store? How will a person substantiate their perceptions in a court of law? Where’s the standard, since what annoys or offends you may have no impact on me?
Will poorly considered ordinances like this be enforced by the thought police?
Sunday, December 21st, 2008, 9:19 am | 
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