Judge Rules Jumping Over White House Fence is Not 'Free Speech'

A Washington, D.C. judge has ruled that jumping over the White House fence cannot be considered a right under "free speech," NBC Washington reports.

Joseph Caputo of Connecticut claimed it was "free speech" when he jumped over the White House fence on Thanksgiving Day 2015, draped in the American flag.

President Barack Obama and the First Family were celebrating Thanksgiving inside the White House at the time. Caputo's fence-hopping triggered a lockdown.

Caputo claimed his jump was meant to call attention to "deficiencies" in the U.S. Constitution, and therefore was protected free speech.

Caputo is set to stand trial in D.C. on Sept. 12, facing misdemeanor charges of unlawfully trespassing on restricted government property.

After several high-profile fence jumpings--including one in which a man made it all the way inside the White House before being caught--the government decided to add spikes to the top of the White House fence in 2015.

That still didn't stop several more fence-jumping stunts from occurring, however, which prompted the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) to announce a "major makeover" coming to the fence very soon.

According to design proposals, the height of the fence will increase from 7 feet to more than 11 feet, and the fence will be outfitted with "anti-climb and intrusion detection technology."

Designers said, though, that the desire is to "respect the historical significance and visitor experience" at the White House. Therefore, designs that would widen the width of the fence's pickets are also being considered, to help provide a better view of the property beyond.

Read more about the NCPC's design proposals on their website here.

Read more about the judge's ruling in the Joseph Caputo case on NBC Washington's website.

Image courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov.