Appeals Court Overturn Decision To Shutter Website

An appeals court has ruled that a federal district court went too far shutting down a website last year that was critical of the Lafayette Police Chief and the department.

The appeals court has now sent the case back to U.S. District Court here in Lafayette.

The decision was made by a three-judge panel of 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The 5th Circuit Court's ruling said U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna could have been more selective in removing content on the website that might have biased any potential jurors if the case made it to civil court.

The appeals judges released their opinion yesterday about the website, http://www.realcopsvcraft.com.

The site was populated with information from Lafayette Police officers who filed a federal lawsuit claiming major issues, including rampant racism.