Springfield v. San Diego Unified Port District

950 F. Supp. 1482, 97 Daily Journal DAR 7767, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20749, 1996 WL 756952
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedDecember 20, 1996
DocketCivil 96-1669-BTM(CGA)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 950 F. Supp. 1482 (Springfield v. San Diego Unified Port District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Springfield v. San Diego Unified Port District, 950 F. Supp. 1482, 97 Daily Journal DAR 7767, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20749, 1996 WL 756952 (S.D. Cal. 1996).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

MOSKOWITZ, District Judge.

INTRODUCTION

This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary judgment. Based on the papers, oral argument held on December 20,1996, and for the reasons stated below, Plaintiffs’ motion is granted.

BACKGROUND

The San Diego International Airport (“Airport”) serves the. sixth largest city in the United States. To meet increasing demands of the traveling public, Defendant San Diego Unified Port District (“Port District”), the government entity that operates, manages, and controls the Airport, began a $214 million reconstruction program at the Airport in May 1996. The Port District estimates that it will complete the reconstruction sometime in January 1998.

Until completion, the ongoing reconstruction will affect the regular operation of the Airport. For example, the Port District has at various times reduced the number of parking spaces at the Airport by 34 percent, closed certain entryways to the Airport’s East and West Terminals, installed additional elevators, and built temporary support structures to accommodate those working on the reconstruction. The Port District also has engaged in a media campaign to discourage unnecessary Airport visits. Nonetheless, the Airport remains open to the public at large, and continues to house a variety of businesses, including restaurants, cafeterias, snack bars, coffee shops, cocktail lounges, clothing stores, bookstores, newsstands, postal machines, shoe shine stands, tourist information services, etc.

To address increased congestion, overcrowding, and safety concerns during reconstruction, 1 the Port District adopted Ordinance 1824, amending Article 5 of the San Diego Unified Port District Code (the “Ordinance”), in June 1996. The Ordinance prohibits groups, organizations and individuals from engaging in a series of “expressive activities” within the Airport terminals. Among other things, Airport visitors may not:

1. Conduct surveys or solicit information from the general public.
2. Conduct or participate in any speech making and/or proselytizing^
*1485 3. Conduct or participate in any parading, picketing, marching, patrolling, demonstrating and/or assembling.
4. Carry, display or cause to be displayed any signs or placards.
5. Distribute any literature, pamphlets or other printed material.
6. Seek petition signatures.

Ordinance § 5.15(b). The Ordinance allows individuals or groups to engage in these prohibited activities only in a handful of 10' x 14' “Authorized Solicitation/Free Speech” zones located outside the terminals, and only after obtaining a permit from the Port District. 2

In addition to the restrictions on expressive activity, the Ordinance contains several general limitations on conduct at the Airport:

(e) No group, organization or person shall interfere with, impede or obstruct the work of airline or airport personnel.
(f) No group, organization or person shall interfere with, impede, or obstruct the movement or activities of the general public.

Ordinance §§ 5.15(e), (f).

The Ordinance makes it a misdemeanor to violate any of the above provisions. Id. § (g).

Plaintiffs describe themselves as “Christians” who, as “part of their religious faith share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.” (Springfield Decl. ¶ 3; Mclntire Deck ¶ 3.) In the past, Plaintiffs have engaged in peaceful and nondisruptive religious expression in the Airport — including distributing pamphlets, wearing buttons or pins with religious messages, and promoting their faith in an attempt to win converts — without incident.

Plaintiffs have filed suit against the Port District seeking to enjoin enforcement of the Ordinance. Specifically, Plaintiffs challenge on First Amendment grounds the prohibitions on: (1) the distribution of “any literature, pamphlets or other printed materials,” (2) “speech making and/or proselytizing,” and (3) the carrying or displaying of “any signs or placards.” Plaintiffs have moved for a preliminary injunction.

DISCUSSION

I. Preliminary injunction standard

To obtain a preliminary injunction, Plaintiffs must show either “(1) a likelihood of success on the merits and the possibility of irreparable injury, or (2) the existence of serious questions going to the merits and the balance of hardships tipping in [the movant’s] favor.” MAI Systems Corp. v. Peak Computer, Inc., 991 F.2d 511, 516 (9th Cir.1993) (quoting Diamontiney v. Borg, 918 F.2d 793, 795 (9th Cir.1990)), cert. dismissed sub nom. Peak Computer, Inc. v. MAI Systems Corp., 510 U.S. 1033 (1994). Plaintiffs have met this burden.

II. Likelihood of success on the merits

The central issue in this ease is the extent to which the government may regulate private speech on public property. As such, the matter is governed by the public forum doctrine, which seeks to balance the government’s interest in maintaining its property with the public’s interest in free expression. The public forum doctrine separates public property into three categories: first, “traditional” public fora — places which “by long tradition or by government fiat have been devoted to assembly and debate”; second, “limited” public fora — “public property which the State has opened for use by the public as a place for expressive activity”; and finally, “non-public” fora — property not dedicated to open communication. See Perry Education Ass’n v. Perry Local Educators’ Ass’n, 460 U.S. 37, 45-46 (1983). The Supreme Court has held that airport terminals are non-public fora. See International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Inc. v. Lee, 505 U.S. 672, 683 (1992).

Speech regulations in a non-public forum such as the Airport will pass constitutional muster only if they are “reasonable in light of the purpose served by the forum and are viewpoint neutral.” Lamb’s Chapel v. *1486 Center Moriches Union Free School District, 508 U.S. 384, 392-93 (1993) (quoting Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense and Ed. Fund, Inc., 473 U.S. 788, 806 (1985)).

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950 F. Supp. 1482, 97 Daily Journal DAR 7767, 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20749, 1996 WL 756952, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/springfield-v-san-diego-unified-port-district-casd-1996.