Man whose flag with Star of David was seized settles with city of Port Angeles

PORT ANGELES — A Joyce man who was cited three years ago for displaying the Star of David on his Stars and Stripes has settled a lawsuit against the city of Port Angeles.

Eugene Voight claimed his First Amendment rights were violated when Port Angeles police officers seized his flag in front of the Clallam County Courthouse on July 4, 2002, and cited him under a state statute that prohibits “improper use” of a flag.

His civil suit, filed last summer in Clallam County Superior Court, was dismissed earlier this month after Voight and his attorney, John Hayden, reached a settlement with the city.

Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.

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City Attorney Bill Bloor said a clause in the agreement prevents any of the parties from discussing the details.

“I’m not going to talk about that,” he said Tuesday when asked the amount of the settlement.

“It was what I would consider a small amount.”

Civil rights, free speech

Hayden, a Port Angeles attorney, hailed the settlement as another step in protecting civil rights and freedom of speech.

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