Suburb Can't Limit Sidewalk Signs By Abortion Protester

CENTER LINE, Mich. (AP) - A Detroit suburb has agreed to stop interfering with an abortion protester who displays a sign with images of aborted fetuses.

A judge in December granted an injunction in favor of Michael Mattia. Now he and the city of Center Line have settled a lawsuit.

Ordinances that restrict signs on public sidewalks in Center Line are unconstitutional as applied to Mattia. Police told him his sign was disturbing the peace on a "psychological level." But Mattia said his free speech rights were violated.

Center Line will pay $1 to Mattia and $50,000 to his lawyer. Federal Judge David Lawson signed the agreement Wednesday.

The judge says the First Amendment protects against a "heckler's veto" by people who simply don't like the content of speech.

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