Cleveland Heights eases new youth curfew law

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio - A Cleveland suburb is easing up on a new youth curfew that was criticized by civil libertarians.

The Cleveland Heights city council on Tuesday approved several exceptions to the tough policy adopted last week, after packs of teens disrupted a street fair.

Police may still arrest kids under 18 found in either of two commercial areas between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. But the rules won't apply if a youth is accompanied by a parent, guardian or relative 18 or older, or is working or going to the movies, a sporting event or the library.

Mayor Edward Kelley says the curfew made for a quiet Fourth of July weekend in Cleveland Heights.

The American Civil Liberties Union had said the ordinance went too far.