A second federal lawsuit has been filed against the City of Simi Valley over its ordinance that prohibited registered sex offenders from displaying Halloween decorations or inviting visitors to their doors for candy.
The anonymous “John Doe” claim, filed by an attorney in Sacramento who advocates for convicted sex offenders, accused the City and its Police Chief of violating a 2012 court ruling -- that struck down most provisions of the law.
The Simi Valley City Attorney’s Office said it was too busy to respond to media requests and would issue a written statement Wednesday.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a convicted sex offender who lives with his family in the City, who said he was told by police to follow the ordinance, even though a judge ordered the City not to enforce it.
“On September 14, 2017…two detectives from the Simi Valley Police Department arrived at Plaintiffs’ residence and handed Plaintiff John Doe #1 a flyer that sets forth the City’s Halloween restrictions,” lawyer Janice Bellucci wrote.
Simi Valley Police Chief David Livingston told the Ventura County Star the department had sent a copy of the ordinance to the City’s 165 registered sex offenders, but had never enforced the law.
(Section of the federal complaint below - in which the attorney argues there is no legitimate purpose for the restrictions included in the City's original ordinance)