Board of Airport Commissioners of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc.
Board of Airport Commissioners of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc., 482 U.S. 569 (1987), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that an ordinance prohibiting all "First Amendment activities" in the Los Angeles International Airport was facially unconstitutional due to its overbreadth.[1][2][3]
| Board of Airport Commissioners of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Argued March 3, 1987 Decided June 15, 1987 | |
| Full case name | Board of Airport Commissioners of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc. |
| Citations | 482 U.S. 569 (more) 107 S. Ct. 2568; 96 L. Ed. 2d 500; 1987 U.S. LEXIS 2619; 55 U.S.L.W. 4855 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Cert. to the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit |
| Holding | |
| A resolution banning all "First Amendment activities" at Los Angeles International Airport violates the First Amendment. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | O'Connor, joined by unanimous |
| Concurrence | White, joined by Rehnquist |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. I | |
The unanimous opinion of the Court was written by Justice O'Connor. O'Connor wrote that the ordinance "reaches the universe of expressive activity, and, by prohibiting all protected expression, purports to create a virtual 'First Amendment Free Zone' at LAX". The Airport Commissioners argued that the ordinance would only be applied against activities that were related to the airport, but O'Connor pointed out that "wearing of a T-shirt or button that contains a political message" would still fall within the prohibition.
In a brief concurrence, Justice White expressed his concern that the decision did not address the question of whether the airport constituted a public forum.
References edit
- ^ "L.A. Airport's Free Speech Curb Upset by High Court : 'Jews for Jesus' Win Rights Case". Los Angeles Times. June 15, 1987. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ Sekulow, Jay; Zimmerman, Erik (2012–2013). "Reflections on Jews for Jesus: Twenty-Five Years Later" (PDF). Regent University Law Review. 25 (1): 1–23. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ Savage, David (June 16, 1987). "LAX Ban on Soliciting Rejected by High Court : Justices Say Rule Goes Too Far in Limiting Free Speech; Larger Question of Exclusion Ignored". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
External links edit
- Text of Board of Airport Commissioners of Los Angeles v. Jews for Jesus, Inc., 482 U.S. 569 (1987) is available from: Cornell CourtListener Findlaw Google Scholar Justia Library of Congress Oyez (oral argument audio)