Court Opinion

ID: 9473463
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:30:40.17412+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:43:32.876648
License: Public Domain

HARRY T. EDWARDS, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
It is clear that in light of the particular allegations of this complaint, the controversy before the court is now moot. In reaching this conclusion, we have had no occasion to consider whether it is unconstitutional for the government to ban the press from covering military actions where the sole or principal justification offered by the government is the safety of the press (and especially where an allegation is made that the government’s actual motivation is to prevent unfavorable press coverage which might influence public opinion). I have no doubt that this question raises a potentially important issue of constitutional law. However, although the issue was presented during the oral argument before this court, it was not encompassed within the complaint before the district court. We therefore need not reach the issue, nor need we decide whether this issue, if properly raised, would be moot.