Church of the American Knights of Ku Klux Klan v. City of Gary

219 F. Supp. 2d 957, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17055, 2002 WL 31005192
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedSeptember 4, 2002
DocketNo. 201-cv-062
StatusPublished

This text of 219 F. Supp. 2d 957 (Church of the American Knights of Ku Klux Klan v. City of Gary) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Church of the American Knights of Ku Klux Klan v. City of Gary, 219 F. Supp. 2d 957, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17055, 2002 WL 31005192 (N.D. Ind. 2002).

Opinion

ORDER

MOODY, District Judge.

The court sua sponte questioned the existence of a “case” or “controversy” in this dispute. After consideration of the parties’ memoranda on the subject, as well as factual submissions in the form of affidavits, the court concludes, as more fully detailed below, this matter is not justicia-ble and accordingly DISMISSES FOR WANT OF JURISDICTION.

I. BACKGROUND

The Church of the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (“CAKKKK”) commenced this action on January 26, 2001, by depositing its pleading with the Clerk. In its Complaint, CAKKKK stated a claim pursuant to section 1 of the Civil Rights Act of April 20, 1871, ch. 22, 17 Stat. 13 (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. § 1983), in which the Reconstruction-era Congress provided a federal cause-of-action for alleged constitutional infringements perpetrated under color of state law. CAKKKK alleged that a recently-signed Executive Order by Gary (Indiana) mayor, Scott King, was an action taken under the guise of state law which, if enforced, would im-permissibly curtail CAKKKK’s rights secured by the First Amendment. The Executive Order requires any group seeking to conduct a “parade and/or open air assembly” within the City to file a request for a permit no later than 45 days in advance.1 As redress for what it perceived as a transgression of constitutional proportions, CAKKKK prayed for declaratory and injunctive relief. (See Compl. at 6.)

Concomitant with the filing of its Complaint, CAKKKK requested provisional remedies in the form of an injunction prohibiting both the operation of any City ordinance requiring 45-day notice in advance of a “parade and/or open air assembly;” and the enforcement of Mayor King’s Executive Order. (See Mot. for Prelim. Inj’n at 2.) In addition, CAKKKK petitioned for a preliminary mandatory injunction to require the appropriate City authorities to issue a permit for a rally at City Hall on February 3, 2001. (See id.) The court ordered a response by no later than January 30, 2001. After reviewing the City’s filings in opposition to provisional relief, the court set a hearing for February 1, 2001. At the hearing, the court received evidence from both sides and entertained argument. (See Dkt. Entry # 12 (minutes).) The court adjourned, having taken the motion under advisement. Later that day, the court issued a written order denying all provisional relief. (See Dkt. Entry # 11.)

Since the court denied the motion for a preliminary injunction, the 45-day waiting period remained in effect. As a result, CAKKKK conducted its rally at Gilroy Stadium in Gary on March 10, 2001. (Bang Dep. at 32.22-.25.) Approximately 27 [959]*959members of CAKKKK attended the event. (See id. at 41.18-19.) Noticeably absent from the affair was Jeffrey Berry, its self-described founder2 and National Imperial Wizard.3 By all accounts, with the exception of an incident involving someone not affiliated with CAKKKK, the demonstration came off without a hitch. (See Berry Supp.Aff. at ¶¶ 3^4; King Dep. at 41.23-42.04.)

On April 24, 2001, Magistrate Judge Ro-dovich granted CAKKKK leave to file an amended complaint. (See Dkt. Entry # 21.) In it, CAKKKK reiterates its contention that the 45-day notice requirement is impermissible. In addition, CAKKKK challenges a subsequent executive order (similarly named “EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 01-02”), signed by Mayor King on April 3, 2001. (See Amd.Compl. at Att. 6.) This Executive Order allows the City to assess a fee upon an applicant for a “parade and/or open air assembly” permit, if the Chief of Police in an exercise of professional judgment determines that the applicant’s constituent members pose a threat to the public order. (See id.) The amount of the fee is a function of the incremental cost necessary to ensure public safety. (See id. (“The cost shall be the actual cost to the City of Gary for those police officers that have been determined to be reasonably necessary to protect persons and property from harm by the Applicant.”)) Upon completion of discovery, the parties submitted cross-motions for summary judgment. These motions were fully briefed by January 28, 2002.

During the briefing of the summary judgment motions, Berry “pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal confinement with a deadly weapon.” DeKalb Klan Leader Enters Guilty Plea, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, Oct. 3, 2001, at 6A. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment. See Klan Leader Sentenced, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dec. 5, 2001, at B-7. Records indicate he is currently serving his sentence in the high-medium security area of the Miami Correctional Facility. See Offender Public Information Search, available at, www.in.gov/indcorrection. May 28, 2005 marks his “earliest possible release date.” Id. In a written order dated May 23, 2002, the court expressed its concern about the continued justiciability of this dispute, see Kelly v. United States, 29 F.3d 1107, 1113 (7th Cir.1994) (“[Federal courts] have an obligation ... to assure themselves of their own jurisdiction.”), in light of the judicially-noticed facts mentioned in. this paragraph, see Fed.R.Evid. 201(c) (“A court may take judicial notice, whether requested or not.”). The parties submitted briefs on the justiciability issue, and CAKKKK also tendered an affidavit from Jean Null.

Null describes herself as “the Indiana Grand Dragon[ess]” of the CAKKKK. (See Null Aff. of May 29, 2002 at ¶ 1.) She indicates her group “has not conducted rallies in Indiana since Rev. Berry was incarcerated because [it] did not want to adversely affect any possible sentencing modification.” (Id. at ¶ 11.) Yet, she concludes her affidavit with the following statement:

However, I know that Rev. Berry feels very strongly about having a rally in Gary, Indiana. If the Court was to rule in our favor in the lawsuit, I would organize a rally in Gary at the earliest possible opportunity which the [960]*960[CAKKKK] would conduct even if Rev. Berry was still incarcerated.

(Id. at ¶ 12.)

II. LEGAL STANDARD

It is unquestioned reality that the federal courts were established with limited jurisdiction, The Federalist No. 80 (Alexander Hamilton), and this notion remains principally undisturbed. As such, an unflagging obligation exists upon each court to refrain from adjudicating matters outside the purview of its institutional authority. Justiciability is the term assigned .to the concept that some disputes do not rise to the level of “Cases” as that word appears in Article III of the Constitution. The doctrine of mootness is a subset of non-justiciable matters, an acknowledgment that although a “case” perhaps existed at some time, events occurring during the pendency of the action may vitiate the adjudicatory vitality of the dispute. Non-justiciable matters are inappropriate for judicial deliberation or consideration. See Iddir, et al. v. INS., et al., 301 F.3d 492

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219 F. Supp. 2d 957, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17055, 2002 WL 31005192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/church-of-the-american-knights-of-ku-klux-klan-v-city-of-gary-innd-2002.