City of Lakewood v. Willis

375 P.3d 1056, 186 Wash. 2d 210
Washington Supreme Court·Decided July 21, 2016·No. No. 91827-9·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinions

Gordon McCloud, J.

¶1 A city of Lakewood police officer saw Robert Willis walk into the traffic lanes at Interstate 5’s (1-5) northbound exit ramp on Gravelly Lake Drive. Willis carried a sign saying he was disabled and needed help. The officer issued Willis a criminal citation. But the officer did not cite Willis for walking into the traffic lane, blocking traffic, or disrupting pedestrian or vehicle progress. Instead, the officer cited Willis for begging.1 Willis raised several challenges to his subsequent conviction, including a First Amendment challenge to the antibegging ordinance under which he was charged. U.S. Const. amend. I. The courts below affirmed his conviction. City of Lakewood v. Willis, No. 45034-8-II (Wash. Ct. App. Apr. 7, 2015) (unpublished), http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/D2%2045034-8-II%20Unpublished%20opinions.pdf, review granted, 184 Wn.2d 1010 (2015). We accepted review and now reverse.

[214]*214FACTS

¶2 The city of Lakewood (Lakewood or City) charged Willis with one count of “Begging In Restrictive Areas” in violation of Lakewood Municipal Code (LMC) 9A.04.020A. Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 16 (boldface omitted). That ordinance prohibits “begging”—defined as “asking for money or goods as a charity, whether by words, bodily gestures, signs or other means”2

under the following conditions: (1) at on and off ramps leading to and from state intersections from any City roadway or overpass; (2) at intersections of major/principal arterials (or islands on the principal arterials) in the City; (3) within twenty five (25) feet of an ATM [automated teller machine] or financial institution; (4) within fifteen (15) feet of any (a) occupied handicapped parking space, (b) taxicab stand, or (c) bus stop, train station or in any public parking lot or structure or walkway dedicated to such parking lot or structure; (5) before sunrise or after sunset at any public transportation facility or on any public transportation vehicle or (6) while a person is under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.

LMC 9A.04.020A. Begging under any of these conditions is a misdemeanor in Lakewood, punishable by a fine up to $1,000 or a jail term up to 90 days, or both. LMC 9A.04.030.

¶3 The complaint filed in Willis’ case did not specify the “[restrictive area[ ]” in which Willis begged; it just cited LMC 9A.04.020A in its entirety. But the jury was ultimately instructed on only the first two “conditions” listed in the ordinance: begging “at on and off ramps” and “at intersections of major/principal arterials.” LMC 9A.04.020A.3

[215]*215¶4 The jury found Willis guilty. The municipal court sentenced him to 90 days in jail and a fine of $1,000, with 90 days and $750 suspended. The court also assessed $125 in costs.

¶5 Willis appealed his conviction to the superior court, raising several constitutional challenges for the first time.4 Specifically, Willis argued that the entire ordinance violated his First Amendment right to free speech, was unconstitutionally vague in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause, and violated Fourteenth Amendment equal protection principles by criminalizing poverty. U.S. Const. amends. I, XIV. The parties agree that Willis has raised both a facial and an as applied challenge under the First Amendment.5

¶6 The superior court appeared to identify some constitutional problems with Lakewood’s begging ordinance: it noted the difficulty of distinguishing between a location “at” a freeway ramp, where the ordinance prohibited begging, and a location “on the public street,” where the ordinance supposedly did not prohibit begging. Report of Proceedings (RP) (June 7, 2013) at 5 (“the difference here in [216]*216terms of what is at an on- and off-ramp versus being just a few feet away on the public street may make this a very difficult piece of legislation for purposes of people having some notice of what’s legal or not legal”). But the court nevertheless affirmed Willis’ conviction because “[i]n this particular case . . . Mr. Willis was actually seen in the [off]ramp.” Id. (emphasis added).

¶7 The Court of Appeals granted Willis’ motion for discretionary review and conducted a similar analysis. It began by asserting, erroneously, that “Willis was convicted of begging on a freeway [off]ramp.” Willis, No. 45034-8-II, slip op. at 5 (emphasis added).6 The court then went on to hold that a freeway ramp is not a public forum and that the government may therefore impose reasonable, viewpoint neutral restrictions on speech on freeway ramps. Id. at 5-6 (“[f]reeway onramps are not, and have never been, principally intended as a forum for the exchange of ideas”). Like the superior court, the Court of Appeals noted that Willis entered the lane of vehicle travel: “Allowing expressive activity in the freeway and its onramps would disrupt the principal purpose of the freeway which is to facilitate travel. In fact, Willis’[ ] activities disrupted travelers because he entered the lane of travel and approached cars.” Id. at 5 (emphasis added).7 The Court of Appeals affirmed Willis’ conviction.

[217]*217¶8 We granted Willis’ petition for review and now reverse.

ANALYSIS

¶9 The basic First Amendment principles applicable in this case are clear and, for the most part, undisputed by the parties.

¶10 The First Amendment protects “charitable appeals for funds,” Village of Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better Env’t, 444 U.S. 620, 632, 100 S. Ct. 826, 63 L. Ed. 2d 73 (1980), including appeals in the form of begging or panhandling, Gresham v. Peterson, 225 F.3d 899, 904 (7th Cir. 2000); Smith v. City of Fort Lauderdale, 177 F.3d 954, 956 (11th Cir. 1999); Loper v. N.Y. City Police Dep’t, 999 F.2d 699, 704 (2d Cir. 1993). As protected speech, begging may be subject to reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions. Ward v. Rock Against Racism, 491 U.S. 781, 791, 109 S. Ct. 2746, 105 L. Ed. 2d 661 (1989). The government bears the burden of justifying its restrictions on speech. Collier v. City of Tacoma, 121 Wn.2d 737, 753-59, 854 P.2d 1046 (1993).

¶11 A law restricting speech is subject to different levels of scrutiny, depending on the “forum” in which it operates. Perry Educ. Ass’n v. Perry Local Educators’ Ass’n, 460 U.S. 37, 45-46, 103 S. Ct. 948, 74 L. Ed. 2d 794 (1983); City of Seattle v. Mighty Movers, Inc., 152 Wn.2d 343, 349-50, 96 P.3d 979 (2004). Thus, in a First Amendment challenge, we begin by identifying the forum at issue. Mighty Movers, 152 Wn.2d at 349-51. A law restricting expression in a traditional public forum is subject to the highest level of judicial scrutiny: it must be “‘content-neutral, . .. narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and leave open ample alternative channels of communication.’ ” Id. at 350 (quoting Perry Educ. Ass’n, 460 U.S. at 45).

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City of Lakewood v. Willis, 375 P.3d 1056, 186 Wash. 2d 210 (Wash. 2016).

375 P.3d 1056 (City of Lakewood v. Willis) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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