Opinion ID: 767938
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether LSO faces a realistic threat of future interference

Text: 28 Next we consider whether LSO lacks standing because its concerns regarding future actions by the Officials are speculative or hypothetical. See San Diego Gun Rights Comm., 98 F.3d at 1126. We conclude that LSO's pleadings were sufficient to overcome a motion to dismiss under Rule 12. 29 The difference between an abstract question and a `case and controversy' is one of degree, of course, and is not discernible by any precise test. Babbitt v. United Farm Workers Nat'l Union, 442 U.S. 289, 297 (1979). Nonetheless, some general principles exist. The Supreme Court and this court have often emphasized that, when plaintiffs seek to establish standing to challenge a law or regulation that is not presently being enforced against them, they must demonstrate a realistic danger of sustaining a direct injury as a result of the statute's operation or enforcement. Id. at 298; 7 Bland v. Fessler, 88 F.3d 729, 736-37 (9th Cir. 1996). In making standing determinations in such cases, we are cognizant of the fact that several unpredictable factors may determine whether an actual controversy involving the plaintiff and the challenged law will ever come about. As Justice Brennan explained in the context of a threatened criminal prosecution: 30 Because the decision to instigate a criminal prosecu tion is usually discretionary with the prosecuting authorities, even a person with a settled intention to disobey the law can never be sure that the sanctions of the law will be invoked against him. Further, whether or not the injury will occur is to some extent within the control of the complaining party himself, since he can decide to abandon his intention to dis obey the law. For these reasons, the maturity of such disputes for resolution before a prosecution begins is decided on a case-by-case basis, by considering the likelihood that the complainant will disobey the law, the certainty that such disobedience will take a par ticular form, any present injury occasioned by the threat of prosecution, and the likelihood that a prose cution will actually ensue. 31 Blanchette v. Connecticut Gen. Ins. Corps., 419 U.S. 102, 143 n.29 (1974). 32 It is clear that a plaintiff does not have to await the consummation of threatened injury to obtain preventive relief. Id. at 143. It is sufficientfor standing purposes that the plaintiff intends to engage in a course of conduct arguably affected with a constitutional interest and that there is a credible threat that the challenged provision will be invoked against the plaintiff. See Farm Workers, 442 U.S. at 298. By contrast, persons having no fears of state prosecution except those that are imaginary or speculative, are not to be accepted as appropriate plaintiffs. Younger v. Harris , 401 U.S. 37, 42 (1971). 33 In considering whether a plaintiff faces a realistic threat, we consider a variety of factors. It is well settled that evidence of past instances of enforcement is important in a standing inquiry. See San Diego Gun Rights Comm., 98 F.3d at 1128 (noting absence of any past prosecutions under the challenged provision and finding lack of standing); American-Arab, 970 F.2d at 507 (noting past prosecution of plaintiffs under challenged provision and finding standing). 34 However, enforcement history alone is not dispositive. Courts have found standing where no one had ever been prosecuted under the challenged provision. See Farm Workers, 442 U.S. at 302; see also Bland, 88 F.3d at 737. Conversely, we also have explained that evidence of past prosecution is not sufficient to gain standing if unaccompanied by any continuing, present, adverse effects. American-Arab, 970 F.2d at 507. Thus, we could not automatically conclude that LSO has standing simply because the Officials interfered with their convention plans in 1997. 35 Courts have also considered the Government's failure to disavow application of the challenged provision as a factor in favor of a finding of standing. See, e.g., Farm Workers, 442 U.S. at 302 (noting the Government's failure to disavow application of the challenged provision against parties like plaintiffs, and concluding that plaintiffs are thus not without some reason in fearing prosecution); Bland , 88 F.3d at 737 (The Attorney General of California has not stated affirmatively that his office will not enforce the . . . statute.); American-Arab, 970 F.2d at 508 (noting that Government dropped charges against plaintiff not because they were considered inapplicable, but for tactical reasons.) 36 The Officials have not disavowed their intent to impose sanctions if the exhibit is held on licensed premises. While we cannot go so far as to say that a plaintiff has standing whenever the Government refuses to rule out use of the challenged provision, failure to disavow is an attitudinal factor the net effect of which would seem to impart some substance to the fears of [plaintiffs]. Id. 37 Finally, when the threatened enforcement effort implicates First Amendment rights, the inquiry tilts dramatically toward a finding of standing. Thus, when the State of Virginia passed a law banning the display of certain sexually-explicit material where juveniles could examine it, the Supreme Court found that booksellers had standing to object, even though the law had not yet been enforced. See Virginia v. American Booksellers Ass'n, Inc., 484 U.S. 383, 386, 392-93 (1988). The Court explained: 38 We are not troubled by the pre-enforcement nature of this suit. The State has not suggested that the newly enacted law will not be enforced, and we see no reason to assume otherwise. We conclude that plaintiffs have alleged an actual and well-founded fear that the law will be enforced against them. Fur ther, the alleged danger of this statute is, in large measure, one of self-censorship; a harm that can be realized even without actual prosecution. 39 Id. at 393. Accordingly, we have noted that the tendency to find standing absent actual, impending enforcement against the plaintiff is stronger in First Amendment cases, `[f]or free expression--of transcendent value to all society, and not merely to those exercising their rights--might be the loser. Bland, 88 F.3d at 736-37 (quoting Dombrowski v. Pfister, 380 U.S. 479, 486 (1965)). Accord Navegar, Inc. v. United States, 103 F.3d 994, 999 (D.C. Cir. 1997) (Federal courts most frequently find preenforcement challenges justiciable when the challenged statutes allegedly `chill' conduct protected by the First Amendment.). 40 Here all of the salient factors point to a finding of standing. LSO has demonstrated a realistic threat that the Officials again will wield Section 143.4 in a manner infringing upon LSO's constitutional rights. It appears from the record and the briefs that ABC enforced or threatened to enforce Section 143.4 against licensees involved with LSO's conventions in 1996 and 1997. 8 LSO asserts in its pleadings on information and belief that ABC has in the past conducted raids on licensed premises and forced the removal of art it believes conflicts with its regulations. LSO has indicated that it intends to hold erotic art exhibitions annually in the future. Finally, LSO pleads that the possibility that the Officials will again apply the regulations in a way that could deny it a venue inhibits it from planning future conventions in California, thus chilling its freedom of expression within the state. 9 Indeed, LSO has already engaged in self-censorship. It indicated in its pleadings that it canceled plans to show some of the art from the 1997 exhibition elsewhere in California because of the Officials' posture regarding Section 143.4. 41 We are not persuaded by the Officials' contention that LSO was required to plead that a particular ABC licensee had in fact refused to lease premises to LSO for a particular exhibition or trade show, and that it did so because of fear of ABC sanctions. It was sufficient for LSO to plead, as it did, that the threat of enforcement of Section 143.4 was likely to impede LSO's ability to find venues for future exhibitions and trade shows within California. We think it follows logically from LSO's pleadings that few, if any, businesses will be willing to risk their liquor license in order to do business with LSO, and that this state of affairs burdens LSO's freedom of expression. Moreover, LSO needed only to plead that the threat of enforcement stood as one barrier to the exercise of its First Amendment rights. It was not required to show that Section 143.4 was the only barrier to finding a venue in California or that LSO would, in fact, find a venue within California but for the threat of enforcement. See Northeastern Fla. Chapter of the Assoc. Gen. Contractors of Am. v. City of Jacksonville, 508 U.S. 656, 666 (1993). A plaintiff needs only to plead general factual allegations of injury in order to survive a motion to dismiss, for we presume that general allegations embrace those specific facts that are necessary to support the claim. Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555, 561 (1993) (quotations omitted). Finally, we note that our finding of a reasonable threat of prosecution, for standing purposes, dispenses with any ripeness problem. See Adult Video, 960 F.2d at 786. 42 Accordingly, we reverse the district court's orders dismissing LSO's claims seeking prospective relief and remand for further proceedings. 10