After St. Tammany Parish began enforcing a law that heavily regulates housing for registered sex offenders this month, two landlords asked a federal judge to pause enforcement until she rules on their constitutional challenge to the law.

Abraham and Lorraine Williams sued the parish last December over a new parish law that defines a property where at least 15% of residents are registered sex offenders as a "transitional facility" and requires owners to build a six-foot privacy fence, pay the parish an annual $5,000 permit fee and have a limit of one occupant per 1,000 square feet.

Their lawyer, Jim Holt, argued the law violated the First and Fourth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, as well as Louisiana law. He called it a “feel good” ordinance that will look good to some residents

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