In Camden, New Jersey the Pagans motorcycle club has found itself in a dispute with local police over the use of their colors. If you don't know, the "colors" are a club's custom motorcycle club patches adorning the back of their leather vests and jackets. In the case of the Pagans, their colors aren't widely known outside their areas of operation because the group tends to keep to themselves and avoid drawing attention. However, that didn't help them in July 2009 as a group traveled down the highway in Southampton.
Riding with a fellow biker from the Tribe motorcycle club, two Pagans were pulled over by local police allegedly because of illegal helmets. The Pagans claimed their helmets were perfectly legal, a claim that held up later in court. Furthermore, they believe the real reason they were pulled over is because the police wanted to remove their colors. According to videotaped evidence of the traffic stop one of the officers indeed had demanded the men's remove their vests because, as the officer claimed, "on these highways these are the only colors [police uniform] you wear".
Nearly 3 years after the fact the Pagans are suing the police in a question over a violation of their constitutional rights. They make the case that they have freedom according to the First Amendment to wear their colors as they choose. A judge with the U.S. District Court agreed, allowing the case to proceed. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
Results of the case will set an important precedent for not only the Pagans but for motorcycle clubs around the country. Their colors are an import ant part of their identity; one that could potentially be lost if they lose the case.
