1st Amendment News Articles
In a novel case sure to catch the attention of trial lawyers and researchers, the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says that attorneys may have a First Amendment right to interview jurors involved in trials in which they did not participate.
But the right may extend only to lawyers whose purpose is to educate a segment of the bar, the National Law Journal (sub. req.) reports.
The underlying case involves a request by the Oklahoma Employment Lawyers Association, which sought to contact jurors three years after they considered an ADA job bias case, Clyma v. Sunoco Co. (PDF). OELA claimed a First Amendment right to the information. But a lower court rejected the bar's request to access jurors. A court rule prohibits lawyers from contacting jurors without first obtaining authorization.
In a likely case of first impression, the 10th Circuit ordered the lower court to reconsider its previous ruling and decide again, in a "meaningful exercise of its discretion in support of its ultimate determination."
In its ruling, the panel noted that the bar's "alleged First Amendment right to juror access for the exclusive benefit of its members and the trial bar more generally, apparently raised within both a professional and commercial context, surely does not match the media's right to access information for the purpose of informing the political thought and behavior of the general public."
The panel, however, also noted that the bar's request, "in order to prepare a program to educate a segment of the bar, despite countervailing concerns related to juror privacy and the administration of justice, may not be entirely devoid of First Amendment implications."
February 12th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
The owner of this building is in violation of several codes including the sign. City Code Enforcement has pledged to cite the owners for all violation and/or follow through on all open citations. Incidentally, crews were securing the sign last Saturday as it was flapping in the wind. Can you imagine the issues if these illegal signs (there are 3 of them) became free and landed on the connector.
This owner is a criminal.
February 12th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
The owner of KH is probably an ass-whole, but he is right. The bigger issue here is that the city doesn’t it’s shat together. It needs to be fair across the board and the entire city code/ordinances need to be reviewed and rewritten. Not just for zoning but for liquor license, parking, building, etc….
February 12th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
For future reference, Tom, you can always look up corporations’ registration records via the state of Georgia’s website.
KH Outdoor: http://corp.sos.state.ga.us/corp/soskb/Corp.asp?172833
Revelation: http://corp.sos.state.ga.us/corp/soskb/Corp.asp?270443
Note the same principal office address.
February 12th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
You are correct, sir. Don’t know why that slipped my mind. I was in a mad-typing frenzy. Thanks for posting the links.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I know this isn’t a mature critique, but: fuck outdoor advertising companies. Those scumbags have sued hundreds of local governments, costing millions of dollars a piece, just to be able to make money off of the uglification of cities and landscapes.
February 12th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Has anyone called Metro PCS to let them know this billboard is detrimental to their image and their business?
February 12th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
I think it kicks ass.
February 12th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
It’s kick ass on ONE building. The reason why we have zoning laws is imagine this on every building downtown. We’d look like Beijing during the Olympics, which IMHO is not good.
February 12th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Of course you are correct re: every building, SDK. But that’s not what would happen. Occupied buildings could be prohibited in any ordinance – as a practical matter, the tenants wouldn’t stand for it anyway. The Medical Arts Building is an eyesore that should have been imploded or renovated long ago. If the City won’t enforce its ordinances – code violations or signage – appropriately and consistently, then this is what happens.
I know this will be blasphemous to some of the other commenters here but I like outdoor advertising. It can occasionally become an eyesore but I still like it.