Case Summaries 
of Importance to Counties

2012 Enforcement of Ordinances

• City of Maryville v. Langford, 37 TAM 32-9—Persons engaged in street preaching challenged the constitutionality of a city ordinance requiring “any club, organization, or similar group” to obtain a permit from the city before holding any “meeting, parade, demonstration, or exhibition on the public streets.”  The Court of Appeals held that the ordinance was unconstitutional.  The Court found that the ordinance was overly broad in that it did not contain an exemption for small groups.  The Court also found that the ordinance gave too much discretion to the officials issuing the permits.  According to the ordinance, “[n]o permit shall be issued by the recorder unless such activity will not unreasonably interfere with traffic and unless such representative shall agree to see to the immediate cleaning up of all litter which shall be left on the streets as a result of the activity.”  Finally, the Court found that the ordinance was impermissibly vague.  According to the Court, by requiring any “similar group” to obtain a permit, the ordinance could apply to any group of people gathered in public (June 19, 2012).