Opinion ID: 4195156
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Scope of this As-Applied Review

Text: Even though Phelps-Roper seeks review of three Omaha pickets, we look at this as-applied challenge only with regard to the October 2011 picket of Caleb Nelson’s funeral because that is the only event before the court where the amended NFPL was applied in a situation involving the parties before the court—specifically, Shirley Phelps-Roper and the Omaha Police Department. Republican Party of Minn., 381 F.3d at 790 (noting that an “as-applied challenge consists of a challenge to the statute’s application only as-applied to the part[ies] before the court”). It is undisputed that Phelps-Roper sought only prospective relief declaring the NFPL unconstitutional and seeking a permanent injunction against its enforcement in -16- her Third Amended Complaint. “When a law has been amended or repealed, actions seeking declaratory or injunctive relief for earlier versions are generally moot unless the problems are capable of repetition yet evad[ing] review.” City of Manchester, 697 F.3d at 687 (alteration in original) (internal quotation marks omitted). Here, a panel of this court remanded this case for “the district court to have the first opportunity to evaluate Phelps-Roper’s facial and as applied challenges to the amended NFPL,” and chose not to consider the earlier versions. Phelps-Roper v. Troutman, 712 F.3d at 416-17. The record does not support a reasonable expectation that Nebraska will reenact the earlier versions of the NFPL, and even if it did, there is no indication that it would evade review at the time that it is reenacted. Further, in City of Manchester, we upheld an ordinance similar to the earlier NFPL with a 300foot buffer zone. 697 F.3d at 683. Therefore, we consider the issues as to the earlier versions moot and only consider the amended NFPL with the 500-foot buffer zone in this as-applied review.