Last August, psychic business owners Tommy and Marie Costello sued the City of Hattiesburg, Mississippi over the closure of their business – Psychic Marie.
Hattiesburg had shut their business down based on a law from 1929 banning fortune-telling within city limits.
The Costellos argued that the ban was an unconstitutional restraint on their right to free speech and due process. In their lawsuit, they asked for its repeal, and for unspecified damages.
The city of course disagreed, and responded that the ban was a legitimate regulation meant to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Hattiesburg.
In November, U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett ruled in favour of the Costellos and issued a preliminary injunction against the fortune-telling ordinance. In early December, Hattiesburg repealed the law.
Now finally, the story is almost coming to a close for the Costellos. Just last week, the City of Hattiesburg settled the lawsuit and agreed to pay $7,500 in damages.
Given that their business was shut down for almost a year, it’s not a lot of money, but it’s still quite a victory.