Federal Judge Bars Seattle From Vandalism Arrests – Free Speech!

Breitbart: U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman temporarily blocked police in Seattle, Washington, on Tuesday from enforcing the city’s ordinance against vandalism because of First Amendment concerns it censors free speech.

Pechman, a senior judge appointed by President Bill Clinton, said that the city’s ordinance was too vague and “overbroad,” leaving too much discretion to police about when to arrest vandals, and for what messages.

IT'S A FREE FOR ALL: It's like #Seattle takes one step forward, three steps back. This time, it's because of a federal judge.

Earlier this week, US District Court Judge Marcha Pechman issued an injunction that the City of Seattle cannot enforce its anti-graffiti ban in response… pic.twitter.com/GFmz4OEC6u

— Jonathan Choe Journalist (Seattle) (@choeshow) June 15, 2023

The Seattle Times reported:

The city code in question says someone who “intentionally damages the property of another” or “writes, paints, or draws any inscription, figure, or mark of any type on any public or private building or other structure or any real or personal property owned by any other person” is guilty of property destruction, which is typically referred to the city attorney to prosecute, if the value of the damage is less than $1,000.

Pechman wrote Tuesday that the city’s current statute could be used for censorship, noting that “there is allegedly a policy not to arrest children drawing rainbows on the sidewalk,” but the statute would allow for that or the arrest of “those who might scribe something that irks an individual officer.”

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨Seattle judge rules police must permit property damage, cannot enforce laws against graffiti, vandalism

— BREAKING MAGA NEWS (@MAGA202413) June 15, 2023

The injunction caused turbulence among the city’s criminal law staff on Wednesday, as it enjoined the whole of the city’s property destruction code, not just the section related to graffiti.

Seattle has been wrestling with rising crime, including graffiti, since the Black Lives Matter movement, when the city council voted to “defund” police and left-wing activists seized part of the city for an “autonomous” zone.

Seattle police have been barred — at least temporarily — from making graffiti-related arrests after a federal judge issued an injunction late Tuesday. https://t.co/MGnvrsLaMc

— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) June 15, 2023

“Since 2019, incidents of graffiti reported by the public have grown over 50%, including nearly 20,000 reports of graffiti and tagging in 2021,” Mayor Bruce Harrell said last year in launching a new enforcement plan.

The arrests in the federal case date to January 2021, when four defendants were arrested for graffiti such as “fuck the police”; however, the first defendant was arrested for writing the words “peaceful protest” with coal.