By Associated Press By Associated Press
June 24, 2005, 1:31 PM EDT
TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Supreme Court said on Thursday that it's no crime to wear law enforcement uniforms or clothing with words like "police," "sheriff" and "trooper" -- as long as the wearer has no intent to deceive. The high court, in a 5-2 opinion, struck down a state law against such behavior as "unconstitutionally overbroad" and "vague." The maximum punishment for violating the law was a year in jail. "The word `police' on a shirt could mean support for the police, as has been widely seen on clothing in support of the New York Police Department following September 11, 2001," Justice Charles Wells wrote. It also could be used to express a constitutionally protected negative opinion about police conduct, while the word "sheriff" could have a political meaning when worn to promote candidates for that office, he said. Wells said the law bans "innocent wearing and displaying of specified words" and "is not tailored toward the legitimate public purpose of prohibiting conduct intended to deceive." The opinion resolves conflicting lower court decisions. One dissenter, Justice Raoul Cantero, said he feared the high court was stripping law enforcement agencies of "one important weapon in their battle against crime. ... I only hope that the Legislature acts quickly to fill the void."
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