§ 5-71-230 — Violation of the protection of peace for mourning at a funeral

(a) As used in this section: (1) (A) "Funeral" means a ceremony or memorial service held in connection with the burial or cremation of a person who has died in which the family of the deceased has a personal stake in memorializing and honoring the deceased and the desire to be able to mourn in peace during the ceremony or memorial service. (B) "Funeral" does not include a procession related to the funeral; and (2) "Picket" means to engage in the activity of protesting or demonstrating to target a funeral without authorization from the family of the deceased. (b) A person commits the offense of violation of the protection of peace for mourning at a funeral if the person: (1) Knowingly pickets a funeral; (2) Has a purpose to interfere with the funeral; and (3) Pickets: (A) Within three hundred feet (300') of any ingress or egress of the funeral; and (B) Either: (i) During the funeral; (ii) Within thirty (30) minutes immediately before the scheduled commencement of the funeral; or (iii) Within thirty (30) minutes immediately following the completion of the funeral. (c) (1) Violation of the protection of the peace for mourning at a funeral is a Class C misdemeanor. (2) A person commits a separate offense for each funeral that the person pickets in violation of this section.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2013, No. 1125,§ 17, eff. 8/16/2013. Acts 2006 (1st Ex. Sess.), No. 1, § 1; 2011, No. 142, § 1.