Arkansas Code § 5-71-230 - Violation of the Protection of Peace for Mourning At a Funeral

(a) As used in this section:

(1) (A) "Funeral" means a ceremony or memorial service held in connection with the burial or cremation of a person who has died in which the family of the deceased has a personal stake in memorializing and honoring the deceased and the desire to be able to mourn in peace during the ceremony or memorial service.

(B) "Funeral" does not include a procession related to the funeral; and

(2) "Picket" means to engage in the activity of protesting or demonstrating to target a funeral without authorization from the family of the deceased.

(b) A person commits the offense of violation of the protection of peace for mourning at a funeral if the person:

(1) Knowingly pickets a funeral;

(2) Has a purpose to interfere with the funeral; and

(3) Pickets:

(A) Within three hundred feet (300') of any ingress or egress of the funeral; and

(B) Either:

(i) During the funeral;

(ii) Within thirty (30) minutes immediately before the scheduled commencement of the funeral; or

(iii) Within thirty (30) minutes immediately following the completion of the funeral.

(c) (1) Violation of the protection of the peace for mourning at a funeral is a Class C misdemeanor.

(2) A person commits a separate offense for each funeral that the person pickets in violation of this section.

Section: Previous  5-71-207  5-71-208  5-71-209  5-71-210  5-71-211  5-71-212  5-71-213  5-71-214  5-71-215  5-71-217  5-71-226  5-71-228  5-71-229  5-71-230  

Last modified: November 15, 2016