Norfolk County, MA — The First Amendment is under fire again, this time outside the Norfolk Superior Courthouse.
Just after a federal court ruled that peaceful, offsite protests near the courthouse were constitutionally protected, Massachusetts State Police arrested a woman named Erica Walsh — for silently walking on a public sidewalk while wearing a sweatshirt that said "criminals control Norfolk County."
She wasn’t disrupting proceedings. She wasn’t blocking entrances. She wasn’t even speaking.
She was simply present — in an area where the court had just affirmed her right to be.
The Center for American Liberty, a nonprofit legal organization defending civil liberties nationwide, is representing Erica and moving swiftly to enforce the court’s ruling.
“This Buffer Zone was a euphemism for censorship,” said Marc Randazza, the attorney representing the protesters, in a statement to Fox News Digital. “You don’t get to sanitize public spaces of uncomfortable opinions just because someone in a robe doesn't like what they hear on their way to work.”
Just days before Erica’s arrest, another client, Jason Grant, was blocked from the same area for holding a sign with a Bible verse.
These events are unfolding during the ongoing Karen Read trial, which has drawn national attention and heightened public interest outside the courthouse. But legal experts say that’s no excuse for trampling core constitutional rights.
That is why the Center for American Liberty is fighting back and why we need your urgent support today.
If you believe in defending free speech and holding government accountable, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support this case:
