Dallas Bullies Businesses Into Dropping Challenge to Silly Sign Rules

The Institute for Justice says the Dallas businesses that challenged the city's senseless sign regulations on First Amendment grounds are giving up the fight, citing the threat of ruinous fines:

A federal court allowed the city to seek $1,000 per day in fines over the window signs. The court also denied the business owners' request for an injunction suspending enforcement of the ordinance while the lawsuit was pending. Over 300 days had passed between the city's filing of its motion and the court's ruling. Dallas used the delay to argue that it was entitled to $300,000 from each business that left its signs up while the parties awaited the court's ruling….

"It breaks my heart to drop this suit, but $300,000 in fines would put me out of business," said Dena McDonald, owner of Tiki Trips on McKinney Avenue and one of the plaintiffs in the case. "It's ridiculous for Dallas to say that the small signs on my door harmed anybody, much less to the tune of $1,000 per day."

I.J.attorney Matt Miller says the city is "punishing people for daring to challenge its authority."

I discussed the sign restrictions, which say commercial signs may cover no more than 15 percent of windows or glass doors and may not appear in the upper two-thirds at all, here and here. I.J. has more information on the case here.