Seattle July 5, 2023 – Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has filed a notice of appeal of a recent U.S. District Court preliminary injunction that enjoins the City of Seattle from enforcing its municipal ordinance prohibiting graffiti.
The City Attorney’s appeal asks that the federal court ruling be overturned on the grounds that the Seattle graffiti ordinance is constitutionally valid.
“The injunction restricts the City from appropriately addressing the growing problem of graffiti,” said City Attorney Ann Davison. “The victims of graffiti – the public as a whole, business owners, property owners, and others – must have a voice. Graffiti is a crime that has an enormously negative and costly impact.”
Municipal Code 12A.08.020 A2 makes it a gross misdemeanor if a person “…(I)ntentionally writes, paints, or draws any inscription, figure, or mark of any type on any public or private building or other structure or any real or personal property owned by any other person unless the person has obtained the express permission of the owner or operator of the property.”
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