Court Opinion

ID: 9844551
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:04:33.647075+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:37.212400
License: Public Domain

*218Finley, J.
(dissenting) — I cannot agree with the majority that the decision of the United States Supreme Court in California v. LaRue, 409 U.S. 109, 34 L. Ed. 2d 342, 93 S. Ct. 390 (1972) is dispositive of the constitutional issues raised in the instant case. As I read the LaRue case, it is much more limited in scope and effect than the broad interpretation given to it in the majority opinion authored by Wright, J. The challenge of unconstitutionality involved in the LaRue case pursuant to the federal Declaratory Judgment Act was directed broadscale at the regulations of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and the very broad issue of whether the regulations on their face violated First Amendment protected “speech.” The opinion in LaRue by Mr. Justice Behnquist, as I read it, very carefully points out that no specific acts or conduct violative of the California liquor regulation were specifically and directly involved and before the court. In other words, no specific application of the California liquor regulations (either involving or not involving obscenity) was before the court in the LaRue case. For the reasons indicated herein, I disagree with the majority and agree with the dissenting views expressed by Justice Utter.