Ruling Goes Against Burk, ACLU

A federal judge upheld a law that allows the sheriff to regulate protests like the one planned by Martha Burk at Augusta National Golf Club.

Monday’s ruling was only a partial victory for city officials, however.

U.S. District Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. hasn’t decided if Sheriff Ronald Strength violated his discretion by denying Burk the right to protest at the front gates of the exclusive club, where the Masters begins Thursday.

Burk is planning to protest Augusta National’s all-male membership on Saturday. Aware of the time constraints of the case, Bowen said he would decide the second issue soon.

The Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on Burk’s behalf.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed with the ruling,” said Gerry Weber, legal director of Georgia ACLU. “But the judge hasn’t addressed whether our clients can be relegated to the outer limits to have their demonstration or whether they can be in a place where they can actually communicate with the folks they want to communicate with.”