Calif. High Court Upholds LAX Solicitation Ban Challenged by Krishnas
The California Supreme Court has ruled against the Hare Krishnas in their free-speech challenge to a ban on soliciting donations inside the Los Angeles International Airport.
The state supreme court said the ban is a reasonable security measure in the hectic environment of an airport, the Associated Press reports.
The could said the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of California “has ample alternative means of conveying its message,” the Los Angeles Times reports at its L.A. Now blog. The group is still permitted to distribute literature and to ask travelers to send donations at a later time, according to the unanimous ruling (PDF) by Justice Carlos Moreno.
In 1992, the Krishnas lost a legal battle in the U.S. Supreme Court over New York City restrictions, according to the Christian Science Monitor and the Recorder.
The Krishnas first filed suit challenging the Los Angeles ordinance in 1997. The Krishnas’ lawyer, David Liberman, told AP he believes the group has exhausted its appeals. “It’s pretty conclusive and it doesn’t look like there are any loopholes,” he said. “As far as I can tell, it’s over.”
