Court Rules Zombies Allowed to Roam the Streets

Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Zombie Jamie Jones

Zombies in Minnesota have had their day in court, and won. A group dressed up as the undead to protest “mindless” consumerism at a July 2006 festival in Minneapolis were arrested by local police for disorderly conduct, resulting in a two-night stay in jail and one “zombie” having his prosthetic leg taken from him. Claiming they did nothing to break the law, the group sued the city and the police department. They lost their initial trial in district court, then appealed to a federal circuit court and were victorious.

 
“[A]n objectively reasonable person would not think probable cause exists under the Minnesota disorderly conduct statue to arrest a group of peaceful people for engaging in an artistic protest by playing music, broadcasting statements, dressing as zombies, and walking erratically in downtown Minneapolis during a week-long festival,” ruled the three-judge panel serving on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
Zombies' Claims Against Police Aren't Dead (by Annie Youderian, Courthouse News Service)
Jessica Baribeau et al. v. City of Minneapolis et al. (U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit) (pdf)

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