Mo. Worship Protection Law Ruled Unconstitutional

A federal appeals court has ruled Missouri's House of Worship Protection Act is a violation of the First Amendment.

The law bans intentional disruption of worship with profane protests or discourse.

"Disagreement with a message, even a profane or rude message, does not permit its suppression," the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded in its Monday ruling.

The three-judge panel also suggested the wording of the law was too vague.

"The meaning of 'profane,' or irreverence to the sacred, is not a well-defined legislative term familiar to people of different faiths," the court wrote. "Any silent demonstration outside a house of worship would likely be able to create a disturbance only by the content of its message."

"Even expression that may be perceived as offensive, rude, or disruptive remains protected by the First Amendment," the court added.

The American Civil Liberties Union challenged the law with a lawsuit in 2012. Violators would have been guilty of a misdemeanor and could have faced jail time.