The ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bel-Nor homeowner Lawrence Willson, who faced fines and imprisonment for violating Bel-Nor’s ordinance for placing political signs in his yard.
The ordinance prohibits any sign on a window or a wall, as well as limits each residential parcel to one yard sign and one flag. Willson initially recieved a warning from a Bel-Nor police officer in June of 2018 regarding the three signs posted in his front yard, informing him that posting more than one sign was a violation of the law. The ACLU informed the city of Bel-Nor on Willson's behalf that this ordinance was unconstitutional, and Willson was contacted by the now-former mayor and informed that these restrictions would be overturned. With this reassurance, he continued to display his signs. However, even after changes were made to Bel-Nor's restrictions on home signs, residents remained restricted to one sign and one flag per property. Willson was once again accused of violating the ordinance.
The ACLU submitted this case to court in 2018. The case was appealed to the Eigth Circuit United States Court of Appeals. In May 2019, the Court of Appeals found an injunction should have been granted because Bel-Nor's ordinance is likely unconstitutional.
Find the Legal Glossary here: https://www.aclu-mo.org/en/node/124