Monday, February 25, 2002
Supreme Court to Hear Door to Door Case
Tomorrow, the US Supreme Court takes up a case which could be interesting for you to localize. It is styled, ” Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, et al. v. Village of Stratton, Ohio, et al”
The tiny village of Stratton required the Jehovah’s Witnesses to get a permit before they could door to door passing out literature. The church sued.
Nando reports, “The Supreme Court will decide if an Ohio town violates the rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses by requiring permission from the mayor to canvass neighborhoods in their quest to recruit believers. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim the 3-year-old ordinance in Stratton, Ohio, was designed to limit their ministry. Members of that faith routinely go door-to-door, giving out free literature. In the small Ohio River town, people planning solicitations must first divulge their names, addresses for the past five years and the names and addresses of their affiliations. The mayor grants permits, which a homeowner can demand to see. The ordinance applies to anyone who goes door-to-door, including salesmen and people seeking donations. Violations are misdemeanors.”
An AP story reported last year: “…Lawyers for the Jehovah’s Witnesses said if church members were to
complete permit requests, they would lose the right of citizens to practice their religion anonymously. The court handled a related issue in 1995. Justices ruled that Ohio could not fine a woman for distributing unsigned leaflets opposing a proposed local school tax.
Al’s ideas: What an interesting story to spend a day with some religious groups going door to door. What rejection they must get at almost every stop. If this law stands, would it not also stop journalists from going door to door in search of somebody they were trying to interview? On the other hand, if states and cities can outlaw callers from calling you to sell you something, can’t they keep somebody off your doorstep? Should you have a fundamental right to be left alone?
— The official docket info from court
— Website for the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Feds Try to Clear up Mammograms Recommendation
The federal government, late last week, tried to clear up concerns over when and whether women should get mammograms. The government is issuing a far-reaching new recommendation that women get screened every one or two years beginning at age 40 to reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer.
The Washington Posts says, “The recommendation is based on a comprehensive two-year evaluation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent group charged with developing health recommendations for the federal government. Endorsed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), these guidelines are intended to be the federal government’s final word on the subject.
Movies Via the Internet for $6
MGM has launched an online movie delivery pilot, the first time a major Hollywood studio has offered the public feature film downloads over the Internet. Full story from MSNBC.
Should Cons Earn Money Writing Books?
Last week, a California Court overturned the so called Son of Sam law. Law.com reports, “To the dismay of crime victim advocates, the California Supreme Court on Thursday gutted the state’s version of New York’s ‘Son of Sam’ law that for nearly two decades has kept convicted felons from profiting off their crimes. By unanimous vote, the court’s seven justices, in a case revolving around the 1963 kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr., ruled unconstitutional a key prong of the law that prevents criminals from making money off books, movies and other “expressive materials” concerning their offenses. The court said
specifically that California Civil Code § 2225(b)(1) of the state’s Victims’ Rights Law was overinclusive.
“The case began in 1998 when Sinatra sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court to prevent Columbia Pictures from paying $1.5 million for the rights to a film about the then-19-year-old’s four-day kidnapping at the hands of Barry Keenan and two other men. Columbia’s offer had been prompted by ‘Snatching Sinatra,’ a story about Keenan in the January 1998 issue of New Times Los Angeles.”
Al’s ideas: What are your state’s laws when it comes to a criminal’s ability to earn money from books, art or other works?