Opinion ID: 1467361
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Waiver of First Amendment Rights

Text: [¶ 14] It is well settled that a party may waive its constitutional rights, see, e.g., D.H. Overmyer Co. v. Frick Co., 405 U.S. 174, 185, 92 S.Ct. 775, 31 L.Ed.2d 124 (1972); however, that waiver must be clear and unequivocal, see Jacques v. Am. Home Assurance Co., 609 A.2d 719, 721 (Me.1992) (holding that a party did not relinquish its due process rights to notice and the opportunity to be heard because there was no evidence of a clear and unequivocal waiver); see also Fuentes v. Shevin, 407 U.S. 67, 95, 92 S.Ct. 1983, 32 L.Ed.2d 556 (1972) (holding that a waiver of constitutional rights in any context must, at the very least, be clear). Although Verizon's stipulation contained no express waiver, by agreeing to the restriction, Verizon did clearly relinquish its right to bring a First Amendment challenge during the period that the order was in effect. Verizon did not, however, permanently waive its First Amendment rights by voluntarily agreeing to restrict its speech in the 1997 stipulation. The clear language of the stipulation reserved the parties'right to petition the Commission in the future for an amendment to any aspect of the Stipulation based upon the passage of time or other change in circumstances. Once the Commission concluded that the change in circumstances warranted a review of the order, Verizon's initial waiver of its First Amendment rights was no longer in effect.