(Follow-up story) – Yesterday a judge ruled in favor of a group of sex offenders who sued the Butts County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office for posting ‘No Trick-or-Treat’ signs in their yards.

A federal judge granted an injunction to stop the Georgia deputies from placing warning signs in the yards of registered sex offenders to deter children from trick-or-treating at their homes. Three sex offenders argued it was a violation of their rights to free speech and privacy.

Sheriff Gary Long said he took the action to keep children safe on Halloween. “I WILL do everything within the letter of the law to protect the children of this community,” Long posted to Facebook.

However, Judge Marc Treadwell found the sheriff’s move went beyond the letter of the law. “The sheriff’s decision is not based on any determination that the plaintiffs are dangerous. Nor is the sheriff’s sign-posting founded on Georgia law. Rather, the sheriff’s decision is based solely on the fact that the plaintiffs’ names remain on Georgia’s registry of sex offenders,” the judge wrote in his ruling. He declined to award the plaintiffs any damages.

Long said on Facebook that he “respectfully and strongly” disagreed with the judge’s ruling, but would abide by it. He cited a portion of Georgia law which stated, “The Sheriff’s Office in each county shall: Inform the public of the presence of sexual offenders in each community.”