ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 20, 1997 TAG: 9701200067
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
The board of directors of Virginia's American Civil Liberties Union chapter voted to go forward with a lawsuit against Charlottesville over the city's new youth curfew law.
``We are committed to going through that process,'' said Mary Bauer, the Charlottesville lawyer who heads the state ACLU.
A legal panel of the civil rights advocacy group endorsed a plan to file the lawsuit last week.
The curfew measure, passed by the Charlottesville City Council in December, is scheduled to take effect March 1. The ordinance replaces a previous measure, and requires children under age 17 to be off city streets between 12:01 and 5 a.m., Monday through Friday, and between 1 and 5 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
It allows eight exceptions, including emergencies, parental accompaniment, travel to and from school, church or civic activities and exercising unspecified First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.
Bauer said the ACLU's lawsuit will seek a preliminary injunction in federal court to ban enforcement of the curfew.
The suit will argue that the city has not demonstrated a ``compelling interest,'' such as a high youth crime rate, for abridging rights of assembly and free speech.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 35 linesby CNB