A little more than the law would allow

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Half a dozen residents in the neighborhood filed suit against Jennings Osborne. They stated their case in Pulaski County, asking that the court file an injunction against their troublesome neighbor. They noted that Osborne had created six acres of headaches with no discernible benefits. His counterclaim was simple. “I do this to make people happy.” The unbiased perspective of the matter is that both parties were correct. Osborne provided an inimitable service that enriched the lives of many Arkansans. In doing so, he wreaked havoc with the lives of the people residing nearby.

The suit itself was a slam dunk according to most legal analysts. It’s simply an electric interpretation of the premise that your rights end where your friend’s nose begins. As predicted, the court ruled against the multi-millionaire, albeit in a compromise. He could keep the lights on as long as he limited the event to 15 days and kept to a strict schedule. Osborne could operate the festivities from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Most people would evaluate the situation as an amicable solution. The microbiologist raged over the court decision. After his attorneys examined the court ruling, they pointed out a loophole of sorts. He could just ignore the county courthouse, but it would cost him. To keep the Osborne Family Lights Spectacle thrilling his fellow citizens, he would have to pay a $10,000 fine. Given that the man bought two adjoining properties to boost the show’s potential, this was a no-brainer. After only three days, his neighbors pointed out to the court that the entrepreneur had violated their terms. The actual legal documents are still online if you’re interested. 

Breaking the law, breaking the law

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As the Osborne clan kept the lights on, they appealed to a higher power, the Arkansas State Supreme Court. Their first attempt stood on more solid legal ground than a later one that fittingly used a religious argument to request removal of the injunction. Initially, the family attorneys argued that attempts by the neighbors to shut down the display infringed on Osbornes’ First Amendment rights. The highest court in the state refused to negate the lower court ruling.

At this point, Osborne’s lawyers attempted to entice the United States Supreme Court into accepting the case. They changed their argument. Many of the items on display celebrated the family’s Christian faith. One of the most famous of them was a manger that created additional legal issues on its own a couple of years later.

Due to the deployment of such artifacts, these attorneys maintained that the lower court ruling to shut them down diminished Osborne’s religious rights. He was unable to celebrate Christmas in his preferred manner. It was a desperate gamble that they only tried because everything else had lost. They determined that their best chance for a legal save was Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, one of the most conservative members of the nation’s highest court.

Thomas infrequently accepted such legal rulings, and Osborne had several connections with the man thanks to his friendships with soon-to-be Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and current president of the United States Bill Clinton. Arkansas was an insular state, and Jennings Osborne was a beloved industrialist. Alas, Thomas recognized what everyone else did. As much as people loved the family light show, it was infringing on the rights of their Robinwood Street neighbors.

The frustrated Osborne family patriarch later recounted, “I got 60,000 letters last year from people thanking me.” He felt like the needs of the many should outweigh those of the few unfortunates residing in the same neighborhood as him. After all, he did many other things to bring positives into their lives. He hosted free barbecues in the backyard and never turned down a request to help anyone in need, even when they were suing him to shut down something he loved.

The night the lights went off in Arkansas

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Bitter over the legal results, Jennings Osborne resolved to maintain Christmas decorations at the family home(s). He simply reduced them in scale to abide the court decision. Otherwise, he would have eventually faced legitimate jail time. As it was, a judge gave him a 10-day suspended sentence. That left the family holding a ridiculous number of lights and other holiday paraphernalia.

They donated some of it to the city of Little Rock. Amusingly, this backfired a bit when civil rights advocates noted that the aforementioned manger shouldn’t stand on display at a public facility. Such a move failed to separate church from state. Given everything else that had transpired, Osborne took this as the final insult to his generosity, noting that he could easily sell the piece for $30,000 or more.

As Jennings Osborne experienced the humiliation of public censuring for performing a kind deed for the community, his Christmas decorations went viral. News organizations across the country picked up the story. How could people sue a person for having one of the greatest holiday exhibitions in the United States? Isn’t that the true definition of an American? In an era before the concept of going viral, the Osborne family lights show became a national curiosity virtually overnight.