Sex Offenders Sue Over Law Prohibiting Halloween Decor

A California city cracked down on sex offenders' Halloween celebrations last month, passing a law prohibiting those convicted of sex crimes from decorating for the holiday or passing out candy at their homes. Now Simi Valley is getting sued by five registered sex offenders and some of their wives and children, who claim the new law violates their First Amendment right to free speech, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Their lawyer says her clients were particularly upset by the part of the law that requires them to post a sign on their front door reading, "No candy or treats at this residence." "To us, it's similar to branding," she said before making, yes, a Holocaust comparison: "We can think of what happened in Nazi Germany, where Jews had to appear in public wearing yellow stars." She is seeking an injunction from a federal judge barring the city from enforcing the law. Similar laws are in place in several other California cities. (More Halloween stories.)