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Sept. 13, 2004
When A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois and motorcycle club members had a problem in Dwight, Illinois, in September of 2004, claiming that they had been harassed by law enforcement officers, based on a "no colors" policy in Dwight, they had difficulty finding an attorney who was willing to help them.
Linda McNulty, a resident of Dwight, Illinois, and manager of the RonDeVoo tavern, took it upon herself to get help with what she saw as an unconstitutional violation of the rights of bikers traveling through Dwight. Linda looked in the A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois newsletter but states that she "got zero help and a not so logical question to ask when she called A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois legal services." The person she talked to asked Linda to find out if there was an ordinance banning colors in Dwight. She thought that the answer was curious because such an ordinance would be unconstitutional. Linda then contacted the C.O.C. and their attorney's office, but got no help.
She also called Motorcycle Riders Foundation, which had some very helpful ideas. As the Village Board meeting scheduled for Monday, September 13th, approached, Linda continued to research the colors issue on the internet.
"I ran across a fantastic letter written on behalf of the Outlaws M/C by Attorney Michael F. Hupy to the Mayor of Milwaukee." This was copied and distributed to bikers in Dwight, especially those that had to take their colors off and bartenders at the RonDeVoo tavern.
Linda was familiar with Attorney Michael F. Hupy because he successfully settled her motorcycle accident case in 1993.
Michael F. Hupy agreed to meet with members of four motorcycle clubs on September 13th in Dwight, Illinois. Later that evening, they all met with the Police Chief and attended the Village Board meeting. The Police Chief assured everyone that nobody would be discriminated against for wearing colors, and Hupy presented educational material to the Board about club insignias.
Bob Sumption, President of the Embarrass Valley Chapter of A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois and accident investigator with the law firm of Michael F. Hupy & Associates, S.C., attended a follow-up meeting in Dwight. There were no reported problems with bikers wearing colors during the annual Harvest Days event in Dwight.
Our firm charged no fee for the work we did in this case or the case brought on behalf of members of the Outlaws Milwaukee Motorcycle Club against Summerfest.