Sunday, July 21, 2013

Substantially unobstructed view of the White House


Bingo

The Law


01. What the CFR is(wikipedia)
02. 36CFR7.96 Center Zone: G.5.viii ¶2
03. Federal Register 1985 on the new regulations
04. Freedom of speech (wikipedia) (case law)
05. Strict scrutiny (wikipedia)
06. Intermediate scrutiny (wikipedia)
07. 1972 Grayned v City of Rockford (SC, 70-5106) TPM trigger
08. 1984 Clark v CCNV (wikipedia)
09. 1984 WH Vigil for the ERA v Clark (DC, 84-5271) (Injunction)
10. 1989 Ward v Rock Against Racism (wikipedia) (SC),(2nd Circuit)
11. 1983 Perry Educ. Ass'n v Perry Local Educators' Ass'n, (SC,81-896)
12. 1939 Hague v CIO (wikipedia),(SC,39-0651), the public forum doctrine
13. 1983 US v Mary Grace (SC, 81-1863) and
13. 2013 Hodge v Talkin (DC, 12-00104), demonstration at the SC
14. 1985 US v Mary Grace (DC, 85-5174) Presidential Seal Exception ¶¶9&10

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42 U.S.C. § 1983 - Civil Rights violations

Ambiguities in the regulations

1. Walk through the Center Zone vs walk in circles within the Center Zone.
2. Hand held signs vs self-supporting signs.
3. Unobstructed view from where
4. Unobstructed view vs ugly signs
5. Signs that are ugly vs signs are ugly.
6. By the way, why say placards?

From Time Place and Manner


01. The video of the closing of the sidewalk, here.
02. The problems with White House Vigil, here.
03. The Presidential Seal Exception, here.
04. Traditional public forum, and the center of the national stage, here.
05. Compatible use, here. Permits are all the regulation you need.
06. Necessary and Proper, here.
07. Overbroad, here
08. Criminalization of dissent, here.
09. History of arrests, here

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Interpreting the First Amendment

Remember that the Bill of rights, including the First Amendment, was added to the Constitution in order to placate revolutionaries who violently resisted oppressive government. "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the ... right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Time Cleared - 1800 hours

Note on Officer Nielsen's report the time that the sidewalk was re-opened: 6pm. That means that because of the method of enforcement, the sidewalk was closed for five hours. How does this serve the compelling state interest to protect a substantially unobstructed view of the White House for tourists and passersby.
The tourists and passersby who were there are long gone.

Officer Nielsen's Police Report

And what's remarkable about it.
Click on the report, to enlarge it.