Ok our neighborhood *really* needs some help from a legal perspective. I'm going to be as vague as possible in order to prevent the thread from derailing into an OT debate that has no relevance to the issue at hand. We really need some productive ideas here mamas, so please don't go there. PLEASE. Here's the gist of it:
There is a large flat sided truck (the size of a 26 foot U-Haul truck) with each side of the truck displaying extremely graphic images (the content of which is entirely irrelevant). They drive through our neighborhood 20-30 times in an hour and make a point of slowing down in front of the kids (we're talking a fairly 'off the beaten path' SMALL neighborhood of four streets forming a 1/2 mile circle), every few weeks during the warmer months. This has been going on for the past several years. The images are horrific and have caused documented trauma and emotional stress to many children in the neighborhood. We have asked the driver to stop. We have done a civil disobedience protest preventing the truck from entering our neighborhood. We have formed a neighborhood group to approach city council and insist something is done to stop it. We have aired our grievances with city council. We have gotten NOWHERE.
We found out this week that a FEDERAL JUDGE has instructed the police of our town that they are not allowed, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, to issue a citation or in any other way ticket the driver of the truck for violating either the state picketing laws (which he violates) or the state's disturbing the peace law (which he violates). If, for any reason, the police think the driver should get a ticket, they are court ordered to have their lawyer talk to his lawyer and "come to an amicable agreement" instead of issuing a ticket.
That's like saying before they can give me a ticket for speeding, they've got to ask my lawyer permission first.
Now, again, I am not interested in DEBATING whether the intended message is legal or not (it is, he has the right to protest anything he wants, please take THAT discussion OFF MDC so I can get some real input here). What I am looking for is productive solutions to stopping this truck from displaying these images and (even better) from coming into our neighborhood.
We are meeting with the police this weekend to discuss what they can and can't do. They are also telling us not to do anything to stop the truck. They are court ordered by a federal judge not to touch this guy. They are telling us not to stage any civil disobedience to stop him.
Any other ideas?
We don't know what to do! Help!
ETA: UPDATED POST 145
There is a large flat sided truck (the size of a 26 foot U-Haul truck) with each side of the truck displaying extremely graphic images (the content of which is entirely irrelevant). They drive through our neighborhood 20-30 times in an hour and make a point of slowing down in front of the kids (we're talking a fairly 'off the beaten path' SMALL neighborhood of four streets forming a 1/2 mile circle), every few weeks during the warmer months. This has been going on for the past several years. The images are horrific and have caused documented trauma and emotional stress to many children in the neighborhood. We have asked the driver to stop. We have done a civil disobedience protest preventing the truck from entering our neighborhood. We have formed a neighborhood group to approach city council and insist something is done to stop it. We have aired our grievances with city council. We have gotten NOWHERE.
We found out this week that a FEDERAL JUDGE has instructed the police of our town that they are not allowed, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, to issue a citation or in any other way ticket the driver of the truck for violating either the state picketing laws (which he violates) or the state's disturbing the peace law (which he violates). If, for any reason, the police think the driver should get a ticket, they are court ordered to have their lawyer talk to his lawyer and "come to an amicable agreement" instead of issuing a ticket.
That's like saying before they can give me a ticket for speeding, they've got to ask my lawyer permission first.
Now, again, I am not interested in DEBATING whether the intended message is legal or not (it is, he has the right to protest anything he wants, please take THAT discussion OFF MDC so I can get some real input here). What I am looking for is productive solutions to stopping this truck from displaying these images and (even better) from coming into our neighborhood.
We are meeting with the police this weekend to discuss what they can and can't do. They are also telling us not to do anything to stop the truck. They are court ordered by a federal judge not to touch this guy. They are telling us not to stage any civil disobedience to stop him.
Any other ideas?
We don't know what to do! Help!
ETA: UPDATED POST 145
He doesn't do 'non confrontational'. He also has a permit for a concealed weapon. We know why he is targeting our neighborhood, although again that's irrelevant. He stated on the news station "I want those kids to see this stuff". So he knows what he's doing and he doesn't care. There IS no reasoning with this guy. He's well funded and has his own (free) legal team with a seemingly endless capacity for harassing us.
LOL
i very specifically didn't say a peep,since your OP clearly wanted THAT to stay out of it!
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