Vietnam Veterans Against War v. Benecke

63 F.R.D. 675, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7855
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedJune 27, 1974
DocketCiv. A. No. 19572-3
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 63 F.R.D. 675 (Vietnam Veterans Against War v. Benecke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vietnam Veterans Against War v. Benecke, 63 F.R.D. 675, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7855 (W.D. Mo. 1974).

Opinion

[677]*677ORDER DENYING REQUEST THAT THIS ACTION BE MAINTAINED AS A CLASS ACTION, AND FINAL JUDGMENT DISMISSING ACTION WITHOUT PREJUDICE FOR LACK OF PROSECUTION, FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH LOCAL RULE 20, FAILURE TO ESTABLISH STANDING, AND LACK OF PRESENTLY COGNIZABLE JUSTICIABLE CONTROVERSY

WILLIAM H. BECKER, Chief Judge.

This is an action under Sections 1983 and 1985, Title 42, United States Code, and Section 2201, Title 28, United States Code, for injunctive and declaratory relief to “redress deprivation by defendants . . . purportedly acting under state law, of plaintiffs’ rights, privileges and immunities secured by the Constitution of the United States.” Specifically, plaintiffs allege that they have been deprived of their right to assemble peacefully and to be free from illegal practices which contravene the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

In support of their contentions, the plaintiffs state that the Vietnam Veterans Against the War obtained a policy permit, prior to July 4, 1971, to conduct a march on that day, but that they were not allowed to proceed as long as Jack R. Smith, a member of the color guard, carried the American flag in an inverted position from the pole; that Smith was arrested by Patrolman Houx of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and charged under Section 26.125 R.O. Kansas City, Missouri, with “desecration of the American flag by flying it upside down”; that Kansas City selectively enforces Section 26.125 against those who use the flag to express dissenting views; that members of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department have attended public assemblies and demonstrations and keep “dossiers” on those in attendance; and that the practices described above “ . . . significantly deter the free exercise, of dissident persons, of rights of political association, assembly and speech.”

Plaintiffs, stating that they have no adequate remedy at law, seek the following relief against the defendants:

“a) A preliminary injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and employees from interfering with any lawful march, demonstration, assembly, or other gathering on the basis of the type of flag, banner, emblem, or ensign being flown or the manner in which said flag, banner, emblem or ensign is being flown;

“b) A permanent injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and employees, from interfering with any lawful march, demonstration, assembly, or other gathering on the basis of the type of flag, banner, emblem, or ensign being flown or the manner in which said flag, banner, emblem or ensign is being flown; ■

“c) A preliminary injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and employees, from enforcing Section

26.125, R.O., Kansas City, Missouri, Desecrating the Flag;

“d) A permanent injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and employees, from enforcing Section

“e) A declaration that Section 26.-125, R.O., Kansas City, Missouri, Desecrating the Flag, is unconstitutional on its face and as applied by the City of Kansas City and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department;

“f) A preliminary injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, and employees, from gathering information from and about plaintiffs and the class they represent through compiling intelligence files and photographs of plaintiffs and members of plaintiffs’ class on the basis of the latter’s participation in or attendance at the First and Fourteenth Amend[678]*678ment protected meetings, demonstrations, and public assemblies held by citizens’ groups whose political and social views are considered dissident or ‘unorthodox’ by government officials and/or the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department;

“g) A permanent injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and employees, from gathering information from and about plaintiffs and the class they represent through compiling intelligence files and photographs of plaintiffs and members of plaintiffs’ class on the basis of the latter’s participation in or attendance at the First and Fourteenth Amendment protected meetings, demonstrations, and public assemblies held by citizens’ groups whose political and social views are considered dissident or ‘unorthodox’ by government officials and/or the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department;

“h) A preliminary injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and employees, from disclosing to other law enforcement agencies, government agencies, private employers, or other persons or groups not expressly authorized by this Court, any information contained in the police intelligence files heretofore compiled and maintained by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department;

“i) A permanent injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and employees, from disclosing to other law enforcement agencies, government agencies, private employers, or other persons or groups not expressly authorized by this Court, any information contained in the police intelligence files heretofore compiled and maintained by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department;

“j) An Order requiring the defendants to destroy the intelligence files for plaintiffs and members of plaintiffs’ class now in their possession and any other similar dossiers of political and personal information which violate the Constitutional rights of the plaintiffs and the class they represent;

“k) A declaration of the unconstitutionality of the police intelligence gathering processes and compilation, maintenance and use of police intelligence files described in this complaint ;

“1) An Order appointing a special master to supervise defendants’ compliance with the injunctions described in subparagraphs a) through i) above, with such powers of inspection and supervision as are necessary to insure faithful compliance with the Courts’ Orders and to restore complete public confidence in the vitality of the rights of free speech, assembly, association and petition in the City of Kansas City, Missouri; and

“m) Any further relief which the Court may deem appropriate.”

The plaintiffs purport to bring the present action as representatives of a class, invoking Rule 23(a) and 23(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. In the complaint, the class is defined in the following terms:

“ . . . The plaintiffs and the other members of the class are persons who attend or participate or who wish to attend or participate in any public assembly or demonstration in Kansas City, Missouri held by citizens groups or organizations whose political or social views conflict with those of the officials in the government or the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.”

On August 20, 1971, an order was entered directing the plaintiffs to show cause why the complaint should not be dismissed for failure to invoke available state remedies. Following the filing of a motion for an extension of time to respond to that order and the grant thereof by order of September 1, 1971, plaintiffs filed herein on September 20, 1971, [679]*679their response to the order to show cause.

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

Related

Aichele v. City of Los Angeles
314 F.R.D. 478 (C.D. California, 2013)
Hope v. Nissan North America, Inc.
353 S.W.3d 68 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2011)
State Ex Rel. Coca-Cola Co. v. Nixon
249 S.W.3d 855 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2008)
Hale v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
231 S.W.3d 215 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2007)
Dale v. DaimlerChrysler Corp.
204 S.W.3d 151 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2006)
Intratex Gas Co. v. Beeson
960 S.W.2d 389 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1998)
Harris v. General Development Corp.
127 F.R.D. 655 (N.D. Illinois, 1989)
In re Tetracycline Cases
107 F.R.D. 719 (W.D. Missouri, 1985)
Tonya K. Ex Rel. Diane K. v. Chicago Board of Education
551 F. Supp. 1107 (N.D. Illinois, 1982)
Akau v. Olohana Corp.
652 P.2d 1130 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 1982)
McElhaney v. Eli Lilly & Co.
93 F.R.D. 875 (D. South Dakota, 1982)
In re Federal Skywalk Cases
93 F.R.D. 415 (W.D. Missouri, 1982)
Esler v. Northrop Corp.
86 F.R.D. 20 (W.D. Missouri, 1979)
Levine v. Berg
79 F.R.D. 95 (S.D. New York, 1978)
Hurwitz v. R. B. Jones Corp.
76 F.R.D. 149 (W.D. Missouri, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 F.R.D. 675, 1974 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7855, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vietnam-veterans-against-war-v-benecke-mowd-1974.