Post by greenlegume on Aug 7, 2014 23:32:13 GMT
The Supreme Court of the US has actually ruled several times in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses, and by extension other religious groups, regarding their right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. They are allowed to go door to door in any part of the US, period. Therefore "no soliciting" signs do not apply to them. If you call the police on them, the police will show up just to make sure they are actually Jehovah's Witnesses, but they cannot FORCE them to stop their preaching work. They may suggest that the JW's leave the area for a while and return on a different day so as to appease the person who called, but the police know that they have a constitutional right to go door to door.
Also, I think some of you have soliciting and trespassing confused. If you don't want anyone to knock on your door, put up a no trespassing sign. Those are legally enforceable. The police can and will take action if those signs are disregarded by anyone at any time. No soliciting signs are not legally enforceable. It doesn't matter what YOU think soliciting is, Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious groups, politicians, and even Girl Scouts (who do actually sell something for money) have had their rights upheld by the Supreme Court, so your sign means nothing. So to save yourself some grief, just get a no trespassing sign if you really don't want anyone knocking.
The same right has been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights. So even in the UK they can and do go door to door with their children, legally.
All I'm able to find is a case where the SC said that JWs didn't have to get a permit from government officials before doing their soliciting. It was about a city-wide ordinance against solicitors.
link
Thanks for the hint to put up a No Trespassing sign, though. I doubt they'll abide by that either, but at least there's some recourse if they don't.