Federal appeals court rules Lafayette County permit policy violates First Amendment

A federal appeals court panel on Monday ruled that Lafayette County’s policy prohibiting an Oxford filmmaker and professor from using the exterior of its picturesque county courthouse at night was unconstitutional. The opinion, written by Judge Andrew Oldham and joined by Judges Jaques Wiener and Kurt Engelhardt, said the county’s stated reason of protecting public safety was not enough to justify instituting a blanket nighttime curfew and violates the First Amendment. &nb