Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-02584/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-02584-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

1 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

JOSEPH CUVIELLO, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

CITY OF VALLEJO, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:16-cv-02584 KJM KJN 

ORDER 

On October 31, 2016, plaintiff filed a complaint for injunctive relief, declaratory 

relief and damages against defendants City of Vallejo, City of Vallejo City Attorney Claudia 

Quintana, and City of Vallejo Police Officer M. Cutnick. Compl. ¶ 1, ECF No. 1. In his 

complaint, plaintiff alleged defendants violated his First Amendment right to free speech by 

unreasonably prohibiting him from using a bullhorn as part of his demonstration at Six Flags 

Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. Id. Plaintiff brought this action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, as well 

as the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Id. On March 17, 

2017, plaintiff filed a motion for a preliminary injunction asking the court to enjoin the 

enforcement of Vallejo Municipal Code Chapter 8.56 Section 8.56.10, which authorized law 

enforcement to prohibit the use of a bullhorn. Mot. for Prelim. Inj., ECF No. 15, at 1–2. As 

authorized by Local Rule 72-302(c)(21), this case was referred to the assigned magistrate judge. 

On April 28, 2017, the magistrate judge recommended plaintiff’s motion for preliminary 

Case 2:16-cv-02584-KJM-KJN Document 56 Filed 01/15/20 Page 1 of 2
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

2 

injunction be denied and this court adopted those recommendations on September 1, 2017. 

Findings and Recommendations, ECF No. 24; Order, ECF No. 41. 

 On September 25, 2017, plaintiff appealed this court’s order adopting the findings 

and recommendations and denying plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction. Notice of 

Interlocutory Appeal, ECF No. 42. On December 10, 2019, a Ninth Circuit panel majority 

reversed this court’s decision and remanded for further proceedings. Cuviello v. City of Vallejo, 

944 F.3d 816 (9th Cir. 2019). The Circuit found the court abused its discretion with respect to its 

analysis of the four factors necessary to grant a preliminary injunction. Cuviello, 944 F.3d at 821. 

First, the Ninth Circuit found plaintiff would have a likelihood of success on the merits of his 

argument that the City of Vallejo’s revised ordinance requiring a permit before using his bullhorn 

is an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech. Id. at 826–31. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit 

found that the ordinance, even in its revised form, burdened more speech than necessary and is 

not narrowly tailored to a government interest. Id. at 828–31; see also Vallejo, Cal., Municipal 

Code § 8.56.030. Second, the panel found the threat of enforcement of the ordinance chills 

plaintiff’s exercise of free speech and constitutes irreparable harm. Cuviello, 944 F.3d at 831–34. 

Finally, the panel found the balance of equities tip in plaintiff’s favor and halting enforcement of 

the law is in the public interest. Id. at 834. 

Based on the reasons set forth in the Ninth Circuit’s decision, the court VACATES 

its order at ECF No. 41 and GRANTS plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction. Defendant 

City of Vallejo is hereby ENJOINED from enforcing Municipal Code Chapter 8.56.030’s permit 

requirement, see id. at 825 & n.4 (finding gravamen of plaintiff’s First Amendment complaint 

about state’s permit requirement unaffected by recent amendments to Chapter 8.56). 

Under Local Rule 72-302(c)(21), this matter is REFERRED back to the assigned 

magistrate judge for further pretrial proceedings 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: January 14, 2020. 

Case 2:16-cv-02584-KJM-KJN Document 56 Filed 01/15/20 Page 2 of 2