Law spells out flag handling

Source: Philadelphia Daily News
Date: May 7, 2008
Byline: Damon C. Williams

Law spells out flag handling

The U.S. Flag Code should bring an end to any flap over Mayor Nutter's decree to lower flags in the city to half-staff in memory of Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers resisted the mayor's order, based on the little-known Flag Code, which says that only the president can order an American flag to be lowered.

Nutter said yesterday that he was simply asking that city flags be flown at half-staff — which the Fire Department is doing.

This is an excerpt. The rest of the story explained the Flag Code section in question.