Tallahassee Theatres, Inc. v. Due

22 Fla. Supp. 55
CourtCircuit Court of the 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida, Leon County
DecidedDecember 5, 1963
DocketNo. 18863
StatusPublished

This text of 22 Fla. Supp. 55 (Tallahassee Theatres, Inc. v. Due) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Circuit Court of the 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida, Leon County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tallahassee Theatres, Inc. v. Due, 22 Fla. Supp. 55 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1963).

Opinion

BEN C. WILLIS, Circuit Judge.

Summary final decree: This cause came on to be heard on the motion of the plaintiffs for a summary final decree, and argument of counsel for the respective parties having been heard and the court having considered pleadings, depositions and other documents on file together with testimony previously taken in open court at the various hearings in this cause, and the court being advised of its opinion in the premises, it is thereupon ordered, adjudged and decreed that said motion be and the same is hereby granted, in part, and to the extent hereinafter set forth.

It appears to the court that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that as a matter of law the plaintiffs are presently entitled to be granted a summary final decree to the extent of a permanent injunction containing the terms of the temporary restraining order as amended heretofore entered in this cause.

It has been made to appear without contradiction that the defendants Patricia Stephens Due, John Dorsey Due, Jr., Rubin Kenon, Gloria Smith, Julius Hamilton and Ira Robinson individually and/or as a member, local leader and representative of the Florida A and M University chapter of the Congress of Racial [57]*57Equality, also known as CORE, a voluntary unincorporated association, together with a large number of other persons acting in concert with them were, prior to the filing of the complaint herein, engaged in demonstrations and other conduct at and in the vicinity of the plaintiffs’ theaters in Tallahassee, Florida; that such demonstrations constituted an interference with the rights of the plaintiffs in the operation of their theaters and constituted unreasonable picketing and if allowed to continue would inflict irreparable injury to the plaintiffs in the operation of their theaters.

It will be merely noted herein that this court has previously entered a temporary restraining order, dated May 29, 1963, which was supplemented by an enforcement order dated May 30, 1963, and was on May 31, 1963 modified with regard to peaceful and reasonable picketing and with regard to the previous restraint from attempting to enter upon the premises of the theaters. It will also be noted that there have been involved certain contempt proceedings in which some of the above named defendants and others acting in concert with them have been adjudged in contempt of this court for violation of such orders. By virtue of the various hearings, including the taking of considerable testimony in adversary proceedings, the facts and issues of law have been well established.

The contentions of the respective parties may be stated as follows —

(1) The plaintiffs operate in the city of Tallahassee two motion picture theaters, one known as the Florida Theater and located on North Monroe Street, and the other the State Theater located on East College Avenue. At each of these theaters the plaintiffs have announced and otherwise indicated to patrons and prospective patrons the reservation of the right to refuse admission to any person. In substance they each have a policy, acting through its manager, to be selective as to the patrons and customers admitted to the theater with such selectivity to be completely and solely within the judgment and discretion of the manager. They contend they have this right and that in the enjoyment of the use of their property they may obtain the aid of this court through its injunctive processes to preserve such enjoyment from unreasonable infringement or interference by others, including the defendants. They further contend that the conduct of the defendants acting together and in concert with others of like persuasion and point of view has produced at the theater and in the street and sidewalk in front of it demonstrations and picketing and other activity which constitutes an unreasonable interference with the operation of the theater on the basis of selectivity, which is mentioned above.
[58]*58(2) ^ The defendants contend that they are and have been exercising their right of freedom of speech and freedom to contract, the right to assemble and to otherwise carry out their purpose to protest against the refusal of the theater to admit them and others similarly situated. Their contention is that they have acted in a peaceful, orderly and lawful manner fully within their rights to exercise constitutional privileges and that the plaintiffs have no right to invoke and obtain the injunctive processes of this court to interfere with their conduct. They further contend that the actual policy of the management of both theaters is to exclude all persons who are Negroes, regardless of any other circumstances and that such discrimination on account of race is illegal and that for this court to exercise its injunctive powers in support of such discrimination constitutes a denial of equal protection of the law and due process of the law contrary to the 14th amendment of the United States constitution. They also urge that under other constitutional provisions there would be a denial of their rights.

The record in this case would tend to show that it has been the practice of the plaintiffs to refuse to admit Negroes who sought admission to the theater. It also appears that some white persons have been refused admission. However, it is implicit in the admitted policy of the plaintiffs that they claim the right to exclude persons who are Negroes. It thus appears that the plaintiffs are contending that they possess rights with regard to the theater’s admission of persons to its place of business which would be broad enough to exclude persons on account of race whether such policy be revealed or concealed.

It thus becomes initially necessary to determine whether or not the right of selection of patrons to plaintiffs.’ theaters has a limitation in law against discrimination on account of race.

No case has been cited to the court and the court’s own research has revealed none which holds that the owner of a theater operating on private property and otherwise engaged in a private pursuit is legally obligated to admit to its shows or other activities on such private property any particular person or class of persons. In the Civil Rights Cases, 109 U.S. 3, 27 L.Ed. 835, it was specifically held that the Congress could not under the powers conferred under the 13th and 14th amendments, compel proprietors of places of public amusement not to discriminate against persons on account of race. There has been cited no statute of this state and the court is aware of none which places any restraint upon the selection of patronage by private theater owners and operators. Accordingly, it has not been made to appear that a policy of admission which would reserve the right to exclude on account of race would be violative of any law applicable to the operation of such theaters.

[59]*59This brings the court to a consideration of whether or not the court is prohibited by the 14th amendment to the constitution of the United States from exercising its injunctive processes to protect the plaintiffs from irreparable injury by restraining those engaged in unreasonable activity in protest of and demonstration against the segregation policies of the plaintiffs. It is contended that even if the plaintiffs’ policy of selectivity is lawful, it is unlawful for this court to exercise its power, as a part of the sovereign power of the state, in support or protection of such policy. Cited in support are the cases of Shelley v. Kramer and McGhee v.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Civil Rights Cases
109 U.S. 3 (Supreme Court, 1883)
Shelley v. Kraemer
334 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1948)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
22 Fla. Supp. 55, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tallahassee-theatres-inc-v-due-flacirct2leo-1963.