Florida Senate - 2010                                     SB 252 
 
By Senator Wilson 
33-00263-10                                            2010252__ 
1                        A bill to be entitled 
2         An act relating to the public display of a noose; 
3         creating s. 876.211, F.S.; prohibiting a person from 
4         placing a noose in a public place, on the property of 
5         another without first obtaining the written permission 
6         of the owner or occupier of the property, or in an 
7         exhibit of any kind with the intention of intimidating 
8         another person; providing circumstances under which 
9         the provisions of the act apply; providing that a 
10         person who violates the act commits a misdemeanor of 
11         the first degree; providing criminal penalties; 
12         providing an effective date. 
13 
14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
15 
16         Section 1. Section 876.211, Florida Statutes, is created to 
17  read: 
18         876.211 Prohibition against public display of a noose; 
19  exceptions; penalty.— 
20         (1) A person may not place a noose or cause a noose to be 
21  placed: 
22         (a) In a public place in this state. 
23         (b) On the property of another person in this state without 
24  first obtaining the written permission of the owner or occupier 
25  of the property. 
26         (c) In an exhibit of any kind with the intention of 
27  intimidating another person, preventing another person from 
28  doing any act that is lawful, or causing another person to do 
29  any act that is unlawful. 
30         (2) Subsection (1) applies only if the person placed or 
31  exhibited the noose with the intent to: 
32         (a) Deprive another person or class of persons of the equal 
33  protection of the laws of this state or of equal privileges and 
34  immunities under the laws of this state or for the purpose of 
35  preventing the constituted authorities of this state or any 
36  subdivision thereof from, or hindering them in, giving or 
37  securing to all persons within this state the equal protection 
38  of the laws of this state; 
39         (b) By force or threat of force, injure, intimidate, or 
40  interfere with another person because of the person’s exercise 
41  of any right secured by federal, state, or local law or to 
42  intimidate another person or class of persons from exercising 
43  any right secured by federal, state, or local law; or 
44         (c) Intimidate, threaten, abuse, or harass another person. 
45         (3) A person who violates subsection (1) commits a 
46  misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 
47  775.082 or s. 775.083. 
48         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.