Court order switches off Christmas lights

Press, 26 December 1985, Page 6

Court order switches off Christmas lights

NZPA-AP New Orleans The Louisiana Supreme Court ordered a fried chicken restaurant owner, Al Copeland, to douse the lavish, electrified Christinas lawn display that drew thousands of spectators to the quiet suburban New Orleans neighbourhood of Metairie.

The court, which acted on a complaint by a neighbour, also ordered Mr Copeland’s arrest but cancelled that when his lawyers said that he would immediately comP Workers began dismantling the display just a few hours before the nightly wave of traffic would have begun. Yesterday’s action stemmed from a complaint by Burton Klein, a lawyer, who argued that bumper-to-bumper traffic attracted by the display kept him from the free use and enjoyment of his home.

He said earlier that his aversion to the crowds did not make him a scrooge. When the display was at its brightest — some said its most garish — almost every centimetre of every palm and evergreen tree on Mr Copeland’s lawn was covered with tiny lights. Giant angels, snowmen, and a Santa Claus complete with sleigh and reindeer were fashioned from metal and wire mesh covered with lights. The display was topped with a giant star of neon and incandescent bulbs.

Mr Klein, aged 58, began a court battle against the display in the District Court in late 1983, and he and Mr Copeland had traded victories at district and appeal courts.

The Supreme Court yesterday found Mr Copeland in contempt of a ruling issued in September to tone down the display. In addi-

tion to telling him to take down his display, it ordered him to dismantle electric decorations he had given to other neighbours.. Mr Klein said he was relieved, and noted that since he began his legal fight to dim Mr Copeland’s extravagant show, ne had received letters reviling him and telephoned curses from anonymous callers. After September’s state Supreme Court order telling Mr Copeland to take down his huge light-bulb snowman and reindeer, someone had slashed Mr Klein’s tyres. He estimated that the traffic had averaged 900 cars an hour on week-end nights. “They’re decent people - families, young couples, church groups, tourists. Noone shouts or acts wild but there are so many of them it sounds like a roar,” Mr Klein said.