Woman Faces Legal Action for Middle-Finger Holiday Lights

Holiday lights are one of the best things of the Christmas season, but Sarah Childs of Louisiana may be in court over her "illicit" choice of decorations.

ABC News reports that Childs decorated her roof with lights—which happen to be arranged in the shape of a middle finger (seen above)—in November because she believed a neighbor stole her dog. She said police threatened her with fines and arrest because of the lights. She and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana sued the city, its mayor and police.

Here's more on how this is playing out, via ABC News:

"U.S. District Judge James Brady heard testimony Monday about whether Sarah Childs should be granted a preliminary injunction, barring the city of Denham Springs and police from requiring her to remove the display. The judge didn't rule and the hearing will continue next week.

Lawyers for Denham Springs and police say officials didn't threaten Childs and the case has no merit. But they also argue the display isn't protected speech under the U.S. Constitution because the extended finger is designed to attack her neighbor.

The judge issued a temporary restraining order in mid-December, prohibiting city officials from interfering with the lights and saying efforts to take down the display would violate her rights to free speech and due process."

The lawsuit claims Childs removed the lights twice: once after a police officer told her she could be fined and again after another officer threatened to arrest her. However, she reinstalled them after getting representation from the ACLU and the judge's temporary order in her favor.

This seems way too catty in our opinion, especially for the holiday season. What do you guys think?