A woman whose yard sign used a curse word to describe her feelings about Biden and Trump was fined. Now, she won big in a lawsuit.
Julie Pereira
A Tennessee woman whose eyebrow-raising political yard sign led to her being fined hundreds of dollars won about $32,000 after filing a First Amendment lawsuit against her city.
Earlier this year, Julie Pereira posted a sign in her front year saying "Fuck 'Em Both 2024." But it didn't take long for neighbors to complain and for a code enforcement officer from the Memphis suburb of Lakeland to fine Pereira for violating a city law against obscene signs.
She briefly censored her sign, but sued last month. On Wednesday, lawyers for both sides sought approval for a settlement that deemed the city's actions to be unconstitutional and allocated $31,000 for Pereira's legal fees, plus several hundred dollars for damages and costs.
"Being able to tell politicians to fuck themselves is a sacred American right," Daniel A. Horwitz, one of Pereira's lawyers, said in an email to Business Insider. "We are proud to have protected Mrs. Pereira's right to express her political views and to have achieved a successful outcome in this important First Amendment case."
Pereira said in her lawsuit that she's unhappy with both main candidates, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, in the upcoming November election. But her election sign isn't the first thing to upset city officials. Local news station ABC24 reported in May that Pereira also successfully sued the city after it cited her for a Christmas decoration that used foul language in a reference to the 1989 comedy film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."
When she initially contested the violation over her "Fuck 'Em Both" sign, the judge said it wasn't clear that "both" referred to Biden and Trump, a transcript showed. A code enforcement officer said at least 10 neighbors had complained, including one person who claimed they wouldn't have bought a home in the area if Pereira's sign had been out.
The judge also alluded to Pereira's previous clash with the city and noted that jail time was a possibility.
"I will warn you, I don't want to see you back in here," the judge said.
"Your Honor, I do not want to see the City of Lakeland continue to violate my First Amendment rights," Pereira replied.
City officials didn't respond to an email made on July 4, a US holiday.
