(a) As used in this section: (1)(A) 'Funeral' means a ceremony or memorial service held in connection with the burial or cremation of a person who has died in which the family of the deceased has a personal stake in memorializing and honoring the deceased and the desire to be able to mourn in peace during the ceremony or memorial service.(B) 'Funeral' does not include a procession related to the funeral; and(2) 'Picket' means to engage in the activity of protesting or demonstrating to target a funeral without authorization from the family of the deceased.(b) A person commits the offense of violation of the protection of peace for mourning at a funeral if the person: (1) Knowingly pickets a funeral;(2) Has a purpose to interfere with the funeral; and(3) Pickets: (A) Within three hundred feet (300') of any ingress or egress of the funeral; and(B) Either: (i) During the funeral;(ii) Within thirty (30) minutes immediately before the scheduled commencement of the funeral; or(iii) Within thirty (30) minutes immediately following the completion of the funeral.(c)(1) Violation of the protection of the peace for mourning at a funeral is a Class C misdemeanor.(2) A person commits a separate rty (30) minutes immediately following the completion of the funeral.(c)(1) Violation of the protection of the peace for mourning at a funeral is a Class C misdemeanor.(2) A person commits a separate offense for each funeral that the person pickets in violation of this section.Amended by Act 2013, No. 1125,§ 17, eff. 8/16/2013.Acts 2006 (1st Ex. Sess.), No. 1, § 1; 2011, No. 142, § 1.
Arkansas Legal Code