Animal rights group sues Morgan officials

An animal rights group has filed a lawsuit against Morgan County officials, saying a new county ordinance is unconstitutional and violates its right to free speech.

The lawsuit, filed by the Salt Lake Animal Advocacy Movement, stems from a protest the group was planning for Nov. 28 in Morgan County. Morgan Mayor Dean Pace told the group it needed to obtain a mass gathering permit from the Morgan County Sheriff's Office.

Within a month, the city passed an anti-picketing ordinance stating that "picketers would have to move away from the residences of the mink farmers," the lawsuit states. The group then filed for its mass gathering permit and was told by the sheriff's office that it would need to amend its planned route and pay for additional law enforcement on the day of the protest, said SLAAM spokeswoman Colleen Hatfield.

"I was absolutely amazed (at the request)," Hatfield said.

Hatfield said these actions, and the anti-picketing ordinance, were all actions taken by Morgan County to keep the group from making its statement. For Hatfield, the major issue is the ordinance, which prohibits protests "within 1,000 feet of a fur farm," which she said is nearly impossible as the county has 16 of them.

"Just try to go to Morgan County and not be 1,000 feet from a fur farm," she said. "Our route was too close to several fur farms so they redrew the route, and now we're basically standing in front of the police department."

But Morgan County Attorney Jann Farris said that while the group was a factor in the decision to pass the ordinance, it is an ordinance that will stand and apply to similar protests in the future.

As for the additional requirement of paying for extra law enforcement, that was "absolutely protocol" and has been applicable in all past events in the county involving large groups, such as the Ragnar Relay and the Widowmaker Hill Climb, Farris said.

— Emiley Morgan