Restrictions on door-to-door canvassing violate the First Amendment ruled a federal judge in throwing out a Yorktown, Indiana law. The judge said the law was not confined to serve safety and privacy interests while still providing for other means of expression. (American Civil Liberties Union, October 2, 2014, press release)
The ruling came at the request of the Citizens Action Coalition, a nonprofit that protested the town’s fees and rules barring canvassing before 9 a.m. and after 8 p.m. or dusk. The nonprofit said the law prevented them from reaching its audience in asking questions about political issues. (INDYSTAR, October 3, 2014, by Kristine Guerra)
The judge held that the town had not shown any surge in crime rates stemming from the canvassing. He also said the townspeople could simply not answer the door or post a sign that discouraged both commercial and non-commercial contacts. (Reason, October 3, 2014, by Elizabeth Nolan Brown)