A court case involving University students found in violation of the noise ordinance last year has been scheduled for a hearing in the Georgia Supreme Court.

The case – Manlove v. the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County – is scheduled for a hearing in January, as announced Sept. 25.

Athens attorney Chuck Jones is representing students Robert Manlove and William Hoffman, who claim their right to free speech was violated because the ordinance applies equally across all of Athens, restricting citizens’ ability to express themselves. The case mainly concerns areas near and in downtown.

The original noise ordinance was changed last year to prohibit noise that is “clearly audible” 50 feet away or is greater than 85 decibels (about the same volume of a vacuum cleaner). It applies Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and Friday and Saturday night from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Violators can be charged with a fourth degree misdemeanor and receive a fine up to $1,000, but most violators face a verbal warning, police said.

This past weekend alone there were 48 violations called in, but none of which were formally filed, according to ACC police.