Indo-American Cultural Society, Inc. v. Township of Edison

930 F. Supp. 1062, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9758, 1996 WL 391495
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedJuly 10, 1996
DocketCivil Action No. 95-4690 (JCL)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 930 F. Supp. 1062 (Indo-American Cultural Society, Inc. v. Township of Edison) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Indo-American Cultural Society, Inc. v. Township of Edison, 930 F. Supp. 1062, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9758, 1996 WL 391495 (D.N.J. 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

LIFLAND, District Judge.

This case concerns the ability of defendants, the Township of Edison, New Jersey, et als., to require the Indo-American Cultural Society, Inc. to comply with a local permitting ordinance for public entertainments. The Indo-American Cultural Society asserts that the ordinance, on its face and as applied, violates its right to free expression under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and under Article I, Section 6 of the New Jersey Constitution. The Court enjoined enforcement of certain provisions of the public entertainment ordinance in September 1995. Plaintiff now moves for partial summary judgment.

For the reasons set forth below, the Court will grant partial summary judgment for plaintiff.

Background

Plaintiff, Indo-American Cultural Society, Inc., is a non-profit corporation formed under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Its purpose is to promote Indian religious and cultural heritage in the United States and in the State of New Jersey. It sponsors the autumn Indian religious festival, known as Navratri, in Edison, New Jersey and has done so annually since 1990. The festival has attracted large crowds.

In 1992, the festival was first held outdoors, on the grounds of the Raritan Center Expo Hall. 65,000 people attended over the course of nine evenings. Plaintiff staffed the event with over one-hundred security guards, as well as parking attendants and other health and safety personnel. The Public Entertainment Ordinance, Township of Edison Ordinance No. 670-92 (the “Ordinance”), was enacted shortly thereafter.

' In 1993, plaintiff was instructed that is was required to comply with the Ordinance in order to hold its Navratri event. In both [1064]*10641993 and 1994, plaintiff made applications under the Ordinance, which were approved as submitted.

The record reflects that in both 1993 and 1994, the Edison police received noise complaints from two neighborhoods located approximately 8,500 feet from the Navratri site: Clara Barton and the Heights of Edison. The record reflects that in 1994, none of the complaints were communicated to plaintiff. In 1993, investigation demonstrated that the noise of the festival could not be heard over the noise generated by traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike, which divides the Raritan complex from the residential area from which the complaint was received.

This case was instituted in relation to plaintiffs application for Navratri ’95. As in 1993 and 1994, in 1995 plaintiff complied with the requirements of the Public Entertainment Ordinance. The Ordinance establishes that any group sponsoring a public event at which (1) admission is charged, § 24A-2A, and (2) 1,000 or more people are expected to attend at one time, § 24A-1, must obtain a special permit from the Township Council. § 24A-2A. To obtain a permit, the applicant must submit a detailed application (including a sizable bond), § 24A-3A, as well as a $1,000 filing fee. § 24A-8B. The Ordinance provides that “[t]he fee may be waived by resolution of the “Council” for bona fide nonprofit service organizations.” § 24A-3B. No further criteria for waiver of the fee are provided.

The Township Council is required to hold a public hearing on the application within 30 days of filing, and the applicant must provide at least ten days’ notice of the hearing to all property owners within 200 feet of the site of the gathering. § 24A-3C. Section 24A-3C directs that “the Township Council may issue a permit upon such terms and conditions as it deems necessary and proper to ensure the public health, safety and welfare. If the Council rejects the application, it shall set forth in writing the reason for the rejection.” No more detailed criteria for acceptance or rejection are stated, and no appeal procedure is established by the Ordinance.

A public hearing was held on plaintiffs application on July 12, 1995, roughly three months after plaintiff submitted it. In response to the application, the Township of Edison Municipal Council passed Resolution 412-0795 (the “Resolution”). The Resolution placed a number of restrictions on the conduct of the festival. In particular,

(1) Sections F and G restricted the days and hours of operation of the festival to Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 8 P.M. and 2 A.M.;
(2) Sections B through E required reimbursement for sound level monitoring, fire inspection, police protection, and first aid provided by Township officials; Section D placed discretion to determine the number of police officers required in the Township Chief of Police; Section H waived the $1,000 application fee but required that the fee be placed in an escrow account until all personnel fees were paid to the Township; and
(3) Section A provided that noise levels in the areas surrounding the festival could not exceed ambient noise levels measured by both parties in those areas thirty days before the festival began. In turn, Section I established a stepwise enforcement procedure for ambient sound levels around the festival.

See Township of Edison Resolution 412-0795, Complaint Ex. B.

Plaintiff challenged the Ordinance and the Resolution in September 1995, shortly before the Navratri festival was scheduled to begin. At an expedited hearing held on September 20, 1995, the Court ruled that plaintiff had demonstrated a likelihood of success on its claim that, on its face, Section I of the Resolution created a final prior restraint on protected speech without judicial safeguards. The Court enjoined enforcement of Section I. In the absence of a showing of irreparable harm, the Court declined to enjoin enforcement of section F, which prevented the festival from operating on Sundays. However, the Court observed that plaintiff had demonstrated a likelihood of success on its claim that this limitation was not sufficiently narrowly tailored to serve a legitimate state interest. Finally, with the consent of the parties, the Court deferred consideration of [1065]*1065the reimbursement provisions of the Ordinance.

Plaintiff now moves for summary judgment on the majority of the claims in its Complaint. Counts I, II, V and VI allege that the Ordinance violates the Constitutions of the United States and New Jersey by imposing the prior restraint of a permit on protected speech without narrow, objective and definite standards or procedural safeguards. Counts VII and VIII challenge the Resolution on the basis that it places unreasonable time, place and manner restrictions on plaintiffs speech without procedural safeguards. In Counts IX and X, plaintiff alleges that the Ordinance imposes undue financial burdens on plaintiffs speech and expression.1

Plaintiff asks the Court for a declaration that both the Ordinance and the Resolution violate the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and Article I Section 6 of the New Jersey Constitution. Plaintiff also requests that the Court permanently enjoin enforcement of the Ordinance and Resolution. Finally, plaintiff seeks summary judgment as to defendants’ counterclaim for malicious prosecution and violation of the New Jersey statute prohibiting frivolous litigation. N.J.S.A. § 2A:15-59.1. Defendants have not opposed the motion. Standard of Review

Rule 56(c) of the

Related

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Bluebook (online)
930 F. Supp. 1062, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9758, 1996 WL 391495, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/indo-american-cultural-society-inc-v-township-of-edison-njd-1996.