Opinion ID: 1374133
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Statute v. Injunction

Text: As we have previously stated, if the government's restriction on communicative activity in a public forum is found in a content-neutral statute, ordinance, or regulation, then the statute's, ordinance's or regulation's constitutionality would be assessed by determining whether the time, place, and manner restrictions were narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and [left] open ample alternative channels of communication. Perry Educ. Ass'n, 460 U.S. at 45, 103 S.Ct. at 955, 74 L.Ed.2d at 804 (citations omitted). In fact, although the record is not clear, it appears that the circuit court in the case before us applied this standard when it entered the preliminary injunction. [8] Recently, however, the United States Supreme Court in Madsen, supra, has made clear that because there are differences between a statute, ordinance or regulation and an injunction, a more stringent standard should apply when analyzing whether an injunction unconstitutionally restricts a person's or group's right to free speech: There are obvious differences, however, between an injunction and a generally applicable ordinance. Ordinances represent a legislative choice regarding the promotion of particular societal interests. Injunctions, by contrast, are remedies imposed for violations (or threatened violations) of a legislative or judicial decree.... Injunctions also carry greater risks of censorship and discriminatory application than do general ordinances. `[T]here is no more effective practical guaranty against arbitrary and unreasonable government than to require that the principles of law which officials would impose upon a minority must be imposed generally.' Railway Express Agency, Inc. v. New York, 336 U.S. 106, 112-113, 69 S.Ct. 463, 466-467, 93 L.Ed. 533 (1949). Injunctions, of course, have some advantages over generally applicable statutes in that they can be tailored by a trial judge to afford more precise relief than a statute where a violation of the law has already occurred.... We believe that these differences require a somewhat more stringent application of general First Amendment principles in this context.... Accordingly, when evaluating a content-neutral injunction, we think that our standard time, place, and manner analysis is not sufficiently rigorous. Madsen, 512 U.S. at 765, 114 S.Ct. at 2524-25, 129 L.Ed.2d at 607-08 (citations and footnote omitted). Instead, [w]e must ask ... whether the challenged provisions of the injunction burden no more speech than necessary to serve a significant government interest. Id. at 764, 114 S.Ct. at 2525, 129 L.Ed.2d at 608 (citations omitted). See also Pro-Choice Network of Western New York v. Schenck, 67 F.3d 377 (2d Cir.1995), cert. granted, ___ U.S. ___, 116 S.Ct. 1260, 134 L.Ed.2d 209 (1996) (Applied standard set forth in Madsen for evaluating whether a content-neutral injunction violated a group's First Amendment right to free speech). Not only is this Court required at a minimum to adopt the above standard pursuant to W. Va. Const. art. I, § 1, see n. 6, supra, but we also find the Supreme Court of the United States' analysis to be sound. [9] As previously stated, an injunction is, by its very nature, focused on one person's or group's communicative activities. Thus, a standard that is more stringent than the reasonable time, place, and manner standard is necessary when evaluating whether a content-neutral injunction would unconstitutionally restrict a person's or group's communicative activities in a public forum in order to ensure that courts do not impermissibly muzzle minority voices. [10] The major purpose behind `[t]he protection given speech and press was ... to assure unfettered interchange of ideas for the bringing about of political and social changes desired by the people.' West Virginia Citizens Action Group, Inc. v. Daley, 174 W.Va. 299, 304, 324 S.E.2d 713, 718 (1984) ( quoting Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476, 484, 77 S.Ct. 1304, 1308, 1 L.Ed.2d 1498, 1506 (1957)). An injunction should not be used in a manner that prevents a person or group from sharing their ideas on how political and social changes should be brought about unless there is a significant government interest at stake. [11] Accordingly, we hold that when evaluating whether an injunction's content-neutral restrictions on a person's or group's speech in a public forum is constitutional pursuant to W. Va. Const. art. III, § 7, as opposed to evaluating a content-neutral statute, ordinance or regulation, the freedom of speech provision, the standard time, place, and manner analysis of the restrictions is not sufficiently rigorous. Instead, a court must ensure that the content-neutral restrictions in the injunction burden no more speech than necessary to serve a significant government interest. In the case before us, the circuit court did not use the above standard and, thus, did not determine that the restrictions in its preliminary injunction burdened no more speech in a public forum than was necessary to serve a significant government interest. Furthermore, as we have previously indicated, the circuit court did not decide whether areas like the hotel rooms are government properties that have not traditionally been devoted to assembly and debate, and thus warrant different considerations than areas that are considered public forum. Therefore, we reverse the December 8, 1995 order of the circuit court and remand with directions for the circuit court to first determine what forums are at issue and then to apply the appropriate standards for analyzing whether the restrictions imposed by an injunction would unconstitutionally restrict a person's or group's speech. The right to free speech is a very important right under our state and federal constitutions. Before that right is restricted, a court should carefully examine the facts. Thus, if the circuit court on remand should find that injunctive relief is still warranted in the case before us, the circuit court should clearly set forth in its order the facts which support the restrictions imposed on HERE's constitutional right to free speech. Reversed and remanded. RECHT, Judge, sitting by temporary assignment.