<P> Jehovah's Witnesses pointed to the fact that they were the only religious organization singled out on this form, as well as to discriminatory statements made by Stratton's mayor, as indications of an anti-Jehovah's Witnesses bias underlying the law . The village of Stratton, on the other hand, claimed that the ordinance was motivated by a desire to protect Stratton's elderly citizens from potential frauds and scams . </P> <P> The District Court upheld most provisions of the ordinance as valid, content - neutral regulations, although it did require the Village to accept narrowing constructions of several provisions . The Sixth Circuit affirmed . Among its rulings, that court held that the ordinance was content neutral and of general applicability and therefore subject to intermediate scrutiny; rejected petitioners' argument that the ordinance is overbroad because it impairs the right to distribute pamphlets anonymously that was recognized in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 514 U.S. 334; concluded that the Village's interests in protecting its residents from fraud and undue annoyance and its desire to prevent criminals from posing as canvassers in order to defraud its residents were sufficient bases on which to justify the regulation; and distinguished this Court's earlier cases protecting the ministry of Jehovah's Witnesses . </P> <P> Amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court in support of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Village of Stratton case: </P> <Ul> <Li> Independent Baptist Church of America </Li> <Li> Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) </Li> <Li> Center for Individual Freedom </Li> <Li> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints </Li> <Li> RealCampaignReform.Org, Inc., et al . </Li> </Ul>

Watchtower bible and tract society of new york v. village of stratton (2002)