Activist files suit after anti-war plate is rejected

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) -- A Washtenaw County man is suing the state over its refusal to grant a license plate that says "WAR SUX." David DeVarti is joining a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union that challenges how plates are judged by the Secretary of State. The lawsuit in Grand Rapids federal court accuses the state of violating the First Amendment by broadly controlling speech. DeVarti says his request for a six-letter anti-war message was rejected as offensive. Iraq war veteran Michael Matwyuk of Kingsford had trouble getting a plate that uses a variation of the word "infidel." The state approved it in September and said any problems were an oversight. State law bars plates that might be offensive. The state has until Dec. 5 to respond to the amended lawsuit. Published: Thu, Dec 5, 2013