Alexis Luttrell couldn’t believe the letter in her hand. Her local government in Germantown, Tennessee, ordered her to remove her holiday decorations – or face a hefty fine.
Earlier that year, for Halloween, Lutrell had installed an 8-foot-tall skeleton and an accompanying skeleton dog in her front yard. She’d opted to leave them up for Christmas, decking the dog out with a garland leash and placing a bright green-and-red tutu on its bony owner.
The citation she received referenced a local law prohibiting residents from having decorations up more than 45 days before or 30 days after the “intended” holiday.
“I thought, well, surely this is a mistake because they're decorated for Christmas and it's not even 30 days after the holiday,” Lutrell said.
But it wasn’t a mistake, and Luttrell sued.
