IFN Staff

An attorney for 13 motorists who were cited for a noise violation while driving past a “No Kings” rally in Statesville is planning to file a federal lawsuit against the Statesville Police Department.

Joel C. Harbinson, a Taylorsville attorney who represents the group, filed a petition in Iredell County Superior Court earlier this month seeking video footage recorded by SPD officers’ body cameras and in-car cameras of the event.

According to the court filing, 19 motorists received citations from SPD officers for violating a city noise ordinance during the rally, which was held on June 14, 2025, in Downtown Statesville. More than 400 people assembled outside the Statesville Civic Center to protest the policies and actions of the Trump administration.

Of the 13 individuals represented by Harbinson, 11 were cited for “brief horn honks expressing support for the rally,” the petition said. The operator of a motorcycle and another motorist who honked a horn were cited for exceeding decibel levels.

All of the citations were eventually dismissed by the District Attorney’s Office.

Harbinson, in the petition, told the court that the video recordings are relevant to First Amendment retaliation claims, due process violations and municipal liability, according to the petition.

In a social media post, Harbinson said the charges filed by the SPD were “clear violations” of the motorists’ constitutional rights to “participate” in the rally by honking their car horn while driving by. Twelve of the firm’s clients were supportive of the protesters, while the other client supports the Trump administration.

“The beauty of our nation is that our constitutional rights to express our opinions under the First Amendment and to be free from unreasonable seizures under the Fourth Amendment apply to ALL individuals — regardless of their political or religious beliefs,” Harbinson said in the Facebook post. “We anticipate ultimately filing a civil action in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina in Statesville to pursue the claims of our clients.”

In response to questions by Iredell Free News, the City of Statesville public information officer provided the following statement:

“The City of Statesville intends to follow the judicial process related to the request. We have not changed any policy of the Statesville Police Department as a result of the petition. No additional information is available for release by the City of Statesville at this time. The Statesville Police Department remains committed to serving and protecting the community.”

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