Court Rules in FPC’s Favor in First Amendment Lawsuit Challenge

By Ammoland Editor Joe Evans

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -(Ammoland.com)- Earlier today Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, issued an order granting plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction in a First Amendment civil rights lawsuit challenging a California statute that broadly restricts the Internet publication of the home address or telephone number of any “elected or appointed official.”

The case, captioned Doe Publius and Derek Hoskins v. California Legislative Counsel Diane Boyer-Vine, is supported by civil rights advocacy organization Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC).

“We are delighted that Judge O’Neill saw the statute and the State’s enforcement of it for exactly what it was: an unconstitutional restriction on free speech,” said FPC President Brandon Combs following the ruling. Combs added, “especially in times where some government officials are working to pass legislation that would criminalize law-abiding gun owners and eliminate Second Amendment rights, the First Amendment’s protection of law-abiding gun owners’ political speech and protest is more important than ever.”

Plaintiff Doe Publius, who filed under a pseudonym due to a fear of government retaliation and the potential for criminal prosecution under the challenged law, runs a political blog …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand