Taylorsville settles in animal rights suit

The city of Taylorsville has settled out of court in response to a lawsuit filed last summer by an animal rights group.

According to Salt Lake City attorney Brian Barnard, who represented members of the Utah Animal Rights Coalition, Taylorsville recently paid $15,800 to settle the suit.

The suit was filed after the city and Mayor Russ Wall relegated UARC members to a city-created "free speech zone" during the city's "Taylorsville Dayzz" celebration last July. Activists said they were handing out pamphlets and talking to patrons about animal cruelty in the food industry when they were told by city officials they must stand in the "free speech zone" near a parking lot and away from the events and crowd traffic.

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against Taylorsville, instructing the city to allow UARC to mingle among the crowd and hand out their literature. U.S. District Judge Bruce Jenkins found the city had no compelling interest in prohibiting political or activist conversation and leafletting outside a speech zone.

Barnard called the settlement "another good day for the First Amendment in Utah."

The mayor's executive order, creating the zone, was in effect only for a four-day period during the festival and then expired.

Activists said they were trying to convince people to turn "vegan" in an effort to prevent the cruel treatment of animals.