(CNN) — A federal judge has ruled in favor of the three sex offenders who sued a Georgia sheriff after his deputies put signs in the men’s yards last year warning trick-or-treaters not to visit on Halloween.

The three men sued on behalf of all registered sex offenders in Butts County after finding out the sheriff’s office was planning on putting the same signs this year, according to the ruling.

“The question the Court must answer is not whether (Butts County Sheriff Gary Long’s) plan is wise or moral, or whether it makes penological sense. Rather, the question is whether Sheriff Long’s plan runs afoul of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It does,” the ruling says.

Georgia displays all registered sex offenders’ names, photos and addresses in a public online directory. But the statute “does not require or authorize sheriffs to post signs in front of sex offenders’ homes,” the ruling states.

Judge Marc Treadwell granted a preliminary injunction for the plaintiffs and ruled that sheriff Long and his employees can’t place the signs during this year’s Halloween season on the three men’s yards — but didn’t broaden the injunction to all sex offenders in the county.

He did however warn the sheriff in continuing this kind of policy.

“(Sheriff Long) should be aware that the authority for (his) blanket sign posting is dubious at best and even more dubious if posted over the objection of registrants,” the judge wrote.

The sheriff’s office began planting the signs in 2018 after the county’s chamber of commerce canceled an annual trick-or-treating event, Long said in a previous social media post. Deputies suspected that the cancellation would drive more kids to go door-to-door for candy.

In the lawsuit filed last month, registered sex offenders Christopher Reed, Reginald Holden and Corey McClendon claim the sheriff’s office employees trespassed onto their private property when they put the signs and “had no legal authority” to place the signs, causing the men anxiety and humiliation.

All three of the plaintiffs have “paid their debts to society” and now live “productive, law-abiding lives,” the ruling said.

The court’s ruling, the judge said, “in no way limits Sheriff Long’s discretion to act on specific information suggesting a risk to public safety.”

But the sheriff can’t put signs in the plaintiffs’ yards just because their names are on the registry, the ruling says.

The suit named Long, a deputy and three unnamed sheriff’s office employees who helped put up the signs, a complaint said. The sheriff’s office didn’t provide anyone for comment when reached.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Long said he “respectfully and strongly” disagreed with the ruling and that deputies will keep a “very strong presence in the neighborhoods where we know sex offenders are likely to be.”

“Deputies will have candy in their patrol vehicles and will interact with the children until the neighborhood is clear of trick-or-treaters to ensure the safety of our children on Halloween night,” he said.

He was told he’d be arrested if he removed the sign

After putting up the signs in the men’s yards before Halloween 2018, deputies also handed out leaflets which said the signs “shall not be removed by anyone other than the Butts County Sheriff Office,” court documents say.

Holden, one of the plaintiffs, said when he called a deputy after he saw the sign, he was told he’d be arrested if he removed it, according to the ruling.

Other deputies told McClendon that if he took the sign out of his yard “it would be criminal action,”the ruling said.

While the state’s code sayssheriffs should inform the public of the sex offenders in each community, it “does not require or authorize sheriffs to post signs in front of sex offenders’ homes, nor does it require sex offenders themselves to allow such signs,” court documents say.

Georgia is not among the states that have instituted “no-candy laws,” which prohibit sex offenders on parole and probation from handing out candy on the holiday and require them to display signs revealing their status in their yards.

Some states, including New York and California, stop short of “no-candy laws” but require sex offenders to remain in their homes without interaction on Halloween and leave monitoring up to state departments of corrections.

BUTTS COUNTY, Ga. (CBS46) — “My promise to the citizens of Butts County is to protect the public, especially the children. This means making families aware if a registered sex offender is living close to them,” said Sheriff Gary Long after a judge ruled against “no trick or treat” signs placed near homes of registered sex offenders.

The signs, which were previously placed on homes ahead of Halloween 2018, were intended to warn parents not to take their children to specific homes where a sex offender resides.

Corey McClendon, Reginald Holden and Christopher Reed filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office to prevent the signs from going up this year.

Reed’s father told CBS46 under no circumstances can anyone place a sign, or do anything for that matter, to his property.

“I paid for the land, I paid for the taxes. So who are they to come and put signs on my property,” he asked. “I think it’s wrong. I think it’s humiliating,” he added.

“The judge in this matter has ruled that I can not put signs on the right-of-way of the three offender that filed the lawsuit,” said Long. “While I respectfully and strongly disagree with the judge’s ruling, I must abide by the ruling,” added Long.

Long also stated he sought legal advice prior to posting the controversial signs out, insuring they were in compliance with Georgia Law O.C.G.A. 42-1-12 (i)(5), which states:

“The Sheriff’s Office in each county shall: Inform the public of the presence of sexual offenders in each community.”

Though the signs are a no-go, Long says he and his deputies will be out in full force to protect trick-or-treaters.

“For this Halloween, our deputies will keep a very strong presence in the neighborhoods where we know sex offenders are likely to be. Deputies will have candy in their patrol vehicles and will interact with the children until the neighborhood is clear of trick-or-treaters to ensure the safety of our children on Halloween night.”

Long also urged the public to not take matters into their own hands. Adding, “we understand frustration with the judge’s ruling, but we all must abide by it unless it is overturned on appeal.”

To view the sex offender registry map, click here.

Copyright 2019 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

• Click here to download the CBS 46 News App

(Meredith) –  Deputies in Georgia have posted “no trick-or-treat” signs in the yards of registered sex offenders as an extra precaution to keep children safe this Halloween.

Butts County Sheriff Gary Long posted a photo of the sign to Facebook on Saturday and wrote that “there is nothing more important to me than the safety of our children.”

The signs include bold letters, stop sign graphics and a straight-forward message: “WARNING! NO TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THIS ADDRESS!!”

Long told CBS News there are 54 registered sex offenders in Butts County, which is about 45 miles southeast of Atlanta.

Though he’s received mostly positive feedback from parents in the community, Long said some of the sex offenders emailed him saying the signs were an “embarrassment.”

“At the end of the day, I don’t care if they do like it or if they don’t like it. My job us to ensure the safety of the children and the community and that’s what I’m going to do,” Long told CBS News.

The sheriff wrote on Facebook that the signs were placed in accordance with Georgia Law O.C.G.A. 42-1-12-i(5).

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations website, the law states, “The sheriff’s office in each county shall:  Inform the public of the presence of sexual offenders in each community.”

Georgia state law also prohibits sex offenders from decorating their property on Halloween.

GROVETOWN, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia mayor says the roughly 30 sex offenders on probation in his city will be held at city hall on Halloween to ensure the safety of local children.

News outlets report Grovetown Mayor Gary E. Jones announced the idea Monday on Facebook saying he wants to detain the offenders for several hours. He says they’ll be supervised by a local police officer and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, which he says can require offenders report to a specific location.

Jones initially said all sex offenders would be held, but edited the post to refer to those on probation. Jones’ effort has received a mixed community response.

He previously made headlines in 2014 when he was the city’s police chief and required inmates wear hot pink uniforms.

GROVETOWN, Ga. (AP)

A Georgia mayor says the roughly 30 sex offenders on probation in his city will be held at city hall on Halloween to ensure the safety of local children.

News outlets report Grovetown Mayor Gary E. Jones announced the idea Monday on Facebook saying he wants to detain the offenders for several hours. He says they’ll be supervised by a local police officer and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, which he says can require offenders report to a specific location.

Jones initially said all sex offenders would be held, but edited the post to refer to those on probation. Jones’ effort has received a mixed community response.

He previously made headlines in 2014 when he was the city’s police chief and required inmates wear hot pink uniforms.

Copyright 2018 Associated Press. All rights reserved.