Court Opinion

ID: 9466664
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 01:22:30.893421+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:39:51.667888
License: Public Domain

JAMES C. HILL,
Circuit Judge, dissenting:
I cannot agree that an order restricting the conduct of attorneys and their clients in connection with an ongoing lawsuit should be scrutinized under the First Amendment. I believe that during the pendency of a lawsuit the judge may restrict speech and conduct which in a different setting would be protected by the First Amendment. A precedent which requires that such orders be scrutinized under the First Amendment is a dangerous one with the potential for consequences not intended by the majority.
The propriety of this order should be tested only under Rule 23’s appropriateness standard. Under the facts of this case, I would hold that the order was appropriate.