Opinion ID: 2743147
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Appellants’ Political Activity

Text: In September 2011, Aulen became actively involved with two groups known as Wake Up Fort Myers (“Wake Up”) and Find a Better Way for Lee County (“Find a Better Way”), which supported an anti-discrimination amendment to the City’s charter that prohibited, among other things, discrimination against persons based on age once they reach the age of majority. In particular, Aulen took issue with Fort Myers, Fla., Code § 6-83 (the “Ordinance”), which provides, “It shall be unlawful for persons under the age of 21 years to enter or remain in any alcoholic beverage establishment, or to be permitted to do so by owners, managers, employees or independent contractors of alcoholic beverage establishments, except 1 “Occupy Fort Myers” was an unincorporated association of individuals who had gathered in Fort Myers, Florida, to bring visibility to the influence of private money on the nation’s political process through symbolic, around-the-clock, peaceful protests referred to as “occupations.” Occupy Fort Myers v. City of Fort Myers, 882 F. Supp. 2d 1320, 1324 (M.D. Fla. 2011). 3 Case: 14-11041 Date Filed: 10/16/2014 Page: 4 of 26 as . . . provided.” The City enforced that Ordinance against what it deemed to be alcohol-serving nightclubs, including the Indigo Room, to preclude 18-to-20-yearold people from patronizing them. In support of the amendment initiative, Aulen held voter-registration drives at the Indigo Room from September 2011 until the November 2011 election. In addition, around this time, Aulen was interviewed on the local television news and was critical of the mayor of Fort Myers. Aulen also sent an email to “concerned citizens,” claiming that the police department was ineffective and unresponsive in certain respects. Later, Aulen was the leader of a charteramendment effort to consolidate the police with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Aulen and Jones were both affiliated with Occupy Fort Myers (“Occupy”), and Aulen sometimes partnered with Occupy to host events at the Indigo Room. On November 17, 2011, Aulen held a petition drive to request an ethics investigation into the current mayor. Jones, who was wearing an Occupy t-shirt, and several other Occupy members entered the Indigo Room to sign the petition, signed the petition, and immediately exited. When Jones left the Indigo Room, Gagnon and Officer Najar were outside talking with members of Jones’s group who had left before Jones. The officers asked the group for identification, stating that individuals coming out of the Indigo Room looked like they were under twenty-one. Jones then admitted that he was under twenty-one and received a 4 Case: 14-11041 Date Filed: 10/16/2014 Page: 5 of 26 citation for violating the Ordinance. The other individuals in Jones’s group were over twenty-one and were not cited. Aulen, who also was wearing an Occupy t- shirt and was listed as the alcoholic-beverage-license holder for the property, was cited under the Ordinance as well. As a result of these political activities, Aulen asserts, the City retaliated against him and his business by disproportionately increasing the number of inspections and citations to which it subjected them. Jones contends that the citation that he received on November 17, 2011, was in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights.