Registered sex offenders are suing a Georgia sheriff's office for placing "no trick-or-treat" signs in their front yards.

The suit, which will be ruled on Thursday, argues that the signs "violate private citizens' constitutional rights," mainly the right to free speech.

Butts County Sheriff Gary Long put the signs up last year for Halloween to "ensure the safety of our children," according to the sheriff's office. The sex offenders filed the lawsuit in anticipation he'll do it again this year.

Georgia sheriffs, Long said last year, have a mandate to "inform the public of the presence of sexual offenders in each community."

Fifty-six unincarcerated registered sex offenders reside in Butts County, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's sex offender registry.

Mark Yurachek, the sex offenders' attorney, said Wednesday on Twitter that "coming onto their property to force them to display signs" is not a legal avenue to inform the public of sex offenders in Butts County.

Georgia state law already prohibits registered sex offenders from placing Halloween decorations on their property.

"There are some sex offenders that are not happy," Long said in a statement last year. "But I’m not in the business of making them happy. I’m in the business of keeping safe communities and making sure that our children are protected."

On Monday, Long said he would do everything "within the letter of the law" to protect the children of the county.

Contributing: Joel Shannon, USA TODAY. Follow Joshua Bote on Twitter: @joshua_bote