Smyrna Pays $85,000 After Resident's Profanity Arrest

This week, the City of Smyrna settled the lawsuit with local resident Mary Kirkendoll after she was arrested for profanity at a meeting, and agreed to pay her $85,000.

At a town hall meeting on April 21, 2009, Kirkendoll uttered a profanity to the audience as she was walking out, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She was then arrested and jailed for more than two hours before being released.

The AJC reports that Kirkendoll later filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Smyrna, claiming that it had violated her First Amendment rights and put her under false arrest and imprisonment.

The City ended the litigation this week, and agreed to pay $85,000 to Kirkendoll to settle the case.