Free Speech Precedent
The successful appeal of his prosecution for disrupting a public meeting by wearing a ninja mask has been characterized by the Ohio Public Defender's Office has recognized Dayton v. Esrati as a precedent setting case with respect to public comment in limited public forums. In particular, this case has gained notice from legal scholars making recommendation on setting public comment policy. and by the First Amendment Center Dayton also played host to another precedent setting case identified by the Ohio Public Defender's Office which illustrated the importance of narrowly construed and un-content focused nature of rules for limited public forums that are necessary to respect the free speech rights of citizens while at the same time ensuring efficient execution of a public office holder's duties. A second balaclava-wearing by Esrati at a commission meeting in protest of proposed changes to citizen participation rules did not result in any legal action.
Through the course of the legal proceeding leading to Esrati's eventual victory he won against the City of Dayton and then Mayor Mike Turner in five courts. This expensive and futile effort by the City was high-lighted in Wired magazine for setting precedent in free-speech at limited public forums, and for the foolishness of efforts to litigate against speakers unless they are being unruly.
Read more about this topic: David Esrati
Famous quotes containing the words free speech, free, speech and/or precedent:
“The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic.”
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935)
“I wish more and more that health were studied half as much as disease is. Why, with all the endowment of research against cancer is no study made of those who are free from cancer? Why not inquire what foods they eat, what habits of body and mind they cultivate? And why never study animals in health and natural surroundings? why always sickened and in an environment of strangeness and artificiality?”
—Sarah N. Cleghorn (1976–1959)
“Here we have the beautiful British compromise: a man can say anything, he mustn’t do anything; a man can listen to anything, but he musn’t be roused to do anything. By freedom of speech is meant freedom to talk about; speech is not saying-as-an-action.”
—Paul Goodman (1911–1972)
“I have resolved on an enterprise that has no precedent and will have no imitator. I want to set before my fellow human beings a man in every way true to nature; and that man will be myself.”
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)