Opinion ID: 168352
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Parade ordinance

Text: 39
40 We conclude that Lippoldt and Benham have standing to seek compensatory damages for the denial of the parade permits. 41 Defendants contend that the individual plaintiffs lack standing because they did not apply for the parade permits. We disagree. Although the permits were in OSA's name, Lippoldt and Benham participated in the parades as OSA volunteers. They suffered injury by the alleged abridgement of their First Amendment rights when the City denied the parade permits. A favorable decision in this case would redress their injury by ordering the defendants to allow the parades and compensating them for any damages sustained. Lippoldt and Benham have standing to seek damages for the denial of the parade permits. 42 Moreover, plaintiffs' claim for compensatory damages is not moot. Even though the district court granted the temporary restraining order and the plaintiffs held the parades, plaintiffs may still contest the district court's denial of compensatory damages. [B]y definition claims for past damages cannot be deemed moot. See Taxpayers for the Animas-La Plata Referendum v. Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy Dist., 739 F.2d 1472, 1479 (10th Cir.1984). At trial, the district court awarded only nominal damages, and plaintiffs argue on appeal that they should have received compensatory damages. Under these circumstances, plaintiffs' claim for compensatory damages remains a live case or controversy on appeal. Plaintiffs' claim for past damages is not moot. 43
44 Similarly, plaintiffs have standing to seek declaratory relief. A claim for declaratory judgment is generally prospective, but we treat declaratory relief as retrospective to the extent that it is intertwined with a claim for monetary damages that requires us to declare whether a past constitutional violation occurred. PETA v. Rasmussen, 298 F.3d 1198, 1202 n. 2 (10th Cir.2002); Faustin v. City & County of Denver, 268 F.3d 942, 948 (10th Cir.2001). Moreover, plaintiffs' claim for declaratory relief is not moot where the district court must determine whether a past constitutional violation occurred which will in turn affect the parties' current rights or future behavior. Green v. Branson, 108 F.3d 1296, 1299-1300 (10th Cir.1997). 45 Just as plaintiffs have standing to seek damages, they have standing to seek declaratory relief, and their claim is not moot. Throughout the entire litigation, the parties have disagreed whether the defendants violated the First Amendment in denying plaintiffs' parade permits, and plaintiffs sought damages for the City's denial of the parade permits. At the bench trial, the district court had to determine whether a past constitutional violation occurred when defendants denied the parade permits. Even on appeal, a live controversy remains. Plaintiffs challenge the district court's denial of compensatory damages. Defendants challenge the district court's determination that Cole and Harlenske are liable pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Thus, plaintiffs have standing to seek declaratory relief concerning denial of their parade permits in July 2001, and their claim is not moot. 46
47 Although plaintiffs have standing to seek compensatory damages and declaratory relief, they have no standing to seek a permanent injunction. See Faustin, 268 F.3d at 948 (holding that plaintiffs had standing to seek declaratory relief and nominal damages, but lacked standing to pursue injunctive relief). 48 Plaintiffs seeking prospective relief must show more than past harm or speculative future harm. Riggs v. City of Albuquerque, 916 F.2d 582, 586 (10th Cir. 1990). In Tandy v. City of Wichita, we concluded that the plaintiff had standing to seek prospective relief by alleging an intent to use the city's fixed-route bus `several times per year' because this suggested a concrete, present plan to use it each year. 380 F.3d at 1284. A claimed injury that is contingent upon speculation or conjecture is beyond the bounds of a federal court's jurisdiction. Id. at 1283-84. 49 Although plaintiffs had standing to seek a permanent injunction on the day that they filed the complaint, circumstances changed when the district court granted plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order on July 16, 2001, and ordered the City to allow the parades. Once plaintiffs held the parades in July 2001, they lacked standing to seek a permanent injunction because plaintiffs cannot demonstrate injury in fact. 50 Further, plaintiffs have failed to allege a concrete, present plan to apply for another parade permit in the future. Of the plaintiffs, Lippoldt has the strongest argument that she intends to apply for another parade permit, but she did not specify a concrete plan to do so. She lives in Wichita, and she even applied for a parade permit in October 2001, which the City granted. Aside from past harm, Lippoldt alleges only speculative future harm, which is insufficient for standing to seek injunctive relief. See Riggs, 916 F.2d at 586. Lippoldt testified that it is very likely that both OSA-Wichita and she personally will apply for parade permits in the future. App. Vol. V at 724-725. As to whether she had specific plans for filing a parade permit in Wichita, Lippoldt responded [n]to dates but there has been talk of plans. Id. at 725. In responding to a question whether she had any current plans to submit parade permit requests, she responded [y]es, probably. Hasn't been confirmed but there's talk of another one. I mean, we don't have a date. . . . We are talking about it but we have not chosen a date. Id. at 725. Lippoldt's averred intent does not confer standing to seek injunctive relief because she has not alleged a concrete, present plan to apply for another parade permit. 51 Lippoldt alleges precisely the sort of speculative future harm that did not confer standing in Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife. In Lujan, the Supreme Court held that the plaintiff lacked standing to seek prospective relief because plaintiff alleged that `I intend to go back to Sri Lanka,' but admitted that she had no current plans by testifying that `I don't know [when] . . . . Not next year, I will say. In the future.' 504 U.S. at 564, 112 S.Ct. 2130. Lippoldt's allegations are equally deficient. Like Lippoldt, Benham also lacks standing to seek injunctive relief because he fails to allege a concrete future injury. Benham stated that neither he nor OSA intended to parade in Wichita in the future. 52 Plaintiffs fail to demonstrate standing to seek prospective relief, including a permanent injunction, since they held the parades in the Summer of Mercy Renewal and have not alleged a concrete plan to hold a parade in Wichita in the future. 2 Because plaintiffs lack standing to seek injunctive relief, we do not consider their claim that the district court erred in denying their request for injunctive relief.