Opinion ID: 1301279
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Free Speech Under the Arizona Constitution

Text: The Commission argues that the order is no more than a regulation of utility service and any impact of first amendment rights is incidental and permissible. Both Mountain Bell and the providers argue that the Commission's order curbs free speech rights protected by both the first amendment to the United States Constitution and art. 2, § 6 of the Arizona Constitution. The providers specifically invoke the Arizona Constitution, arguing that § 6 may offer substantially more protection to free expression than does the first amendment. Because the parties explicitly invoked Arizona's constitution, we must implement whatever protection it extends. See Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 32 and art. 6, § 26. The first amendment to the United States Constitution provides only a protection against government action. The words of art. 2, § 6 of the Arizona Constitution, on the other hand, directly grant every Arizonan a broad free speech right: Every person may freely speak, write, and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right. Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 6. Thus, the providers argue, Arizona citizens have greater free speech rights than the United States Constitution requires. See Leshy, supra, 20 ARIZ.ST.L.J., at 82. Indeed, this court has previously given art. 2, § 6 greater scope than the first amendment. In Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. v. Superior Court, 101 Ariz. 257, 418 P.2d 594 (1966), reporters threatened with contempt for violating a trial judge's gag order invoked both state and federal constitutional protections. We held that a trial court could not prevent the press from publishing an account of an open court pretrial hearing. Although the order only delayed publication of the proceedings until after jury selection, we viewed the matter as one of censorship and stated that [t]he words of the Arizona Constitution are too plain for equivocation. The right of every person to freely speak, write and publish may not be limited.... Id. at 259, 418 P.2d at 596. When we decided Phoenix Newspapers, the federal courts had not yet prohibited this type of gag order. Not until ten years later did the United States Supreme Court hold that the first amendment provided a similar, though qualified, free speech protection. See Nebraska Press Ass'n v. Stuart, 427 U.S. 539, 96 S.Ct. 2791, 49 L.Ed.2d 683 (1976). Similarly, in Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. v. Jennings, 107 Ariz. 557, 490 P.2d 563 (1971), this court again turned to the Arizona Constitution. We held that art. 2, § 6 gave the public the right to attend criminal trials even though this right was not within the first amendment. [11] Id. at 559, 490 P.2d at 565 (noting other states that had not found the right in the first amendment or their own state constitutions). The United States Supreme Court did not recognize a similar constitutional right of access to criminal trials until Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia, 448 U.S. 555, 558-81, 100 S.Ct. 2814, 2818-30, 65 L.Ed.2d 973 (1980) (plurality opinion); see also Globe Newspaper Co. v. Superior Court, 457 U.S. 596, 606-07, 102 S.Ct. 2613, 2620, 73 L.Ed.2d 248 (1982) (public access to trial protected by first amendment; closure permitted only where necessitated by a compelling governmental interest, and the order is narrowly tailored to serve that interest). Indeed, Jennings today may define a broader free speech right under Arizona's constitution than what the first amendment provides. In Jennings we reversed the trial court's order excluding the press from a preliminary hearing. Jennings, 107 Ariz. at 559, 561, 490 P.2d at 565, 567. Eight years later, the United States Supreme Court explicitly left open a first amendment claim of access to pretrial hearings. Gannett Co., Inc. v. DePasquale, 443 U.S. 368, 393, 99 S.Ct. 2898, 2912, 61 L.Ed.2d 608 (1979). The Court indicated, however, that even if the first amendment applied, the public's right of access would have to be balanced with the defendant's right to a fair trial. Id. at 392, 99 S.Ct. at 2912. After Richmond Newspapers 's subsequent first amendment expansion, the Supreme Court finally recognized the public's qualified right to attend preliminary hearings. Press Enterprise Co. v. Superior Court of California, 478 U.S. 1, 10-15, 106 S.Ct. 2735, 2743, 92 L.Ed.2d 1 (1986). Arguably, however, an Arizona court can only protect the accused's right to a fair trial by continuance or change of venue. Phoenix Newspapers, Inc. v. Winsor, 111 Ariz. 475, 533 P.2d 72 (1975). We have not had the opportunity to squarely consider this question. Finally, our recognition of the broad protection for speech in Arizona conforms with the Washington Supreme Court's reading of Washington Constitution art. 1, § 5, the model for Arizona's art. 2, § 6. Leshy, supra, 20 ARIZ.ST.L.J. at 82 and n. 501. See, e.g., Alderwood Associates v. Washington Environmental Council, 96 Wash.2d 230, 241-45, 635 P.2d 108, 115-16 (1981); see also Phoenix Newspapers, 101 Ariz. at 259, 418 P.2d at 596 (noting Texas cases expanding free speech under similar Texas Constitution, particularly Ex Parte McCormick, 129 Tex.Crim. 457, 88 S.W.2d 104 (1935)).