Federal Judge Lifts Memphis Council Meeting Bans

A federal judge blocked the Memphis City Council from enforcing its ban on congressional candidate Justin Pearson and other residents at the council’s next meeting, finding the exclusion threatened their First Amendment rights. Judge Thomas L. Parker said the council may enforce reasonable, viewpoint-neutral decorum rules during meetings, but cannot apply them arbitrarily to silence speakers. The bans followed protests at an Oct. 6 meeting over the council’s handling of a proposed data center moratorium, which was again on the council’s agenda.