Court bars Hare Krishnas from LAX solicitation
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
The unanimous ruling written by Justice Carlos Moreno upheld the
Los Angeles ordinance barring solicitations as a reasonable
security measure to protect harried passengers rushing to make
travel connections at the airport known as LAX.
California's other major airports supported Los Angeles' legal
position, and the religious group and other organizations will be
barred from soliciting donations in California airports.
"Soliciting the immediate receipt of funds at a busy
international airport like LAX is particularly problematic,"
Moreno wrote for the court. "The problems posed by solicitations
for the immediate receipt of funds that arise in any public place
would be exacerbated in the often crowded and hectic environment of
a large international airport."
The Hare Krishnas are still free to preach on airport property
and ask passengers to send in donations later. But the group that
has been a fixture at the airport since 1974 and was lampooned in
the 1980 movie "Airport" is barred from receiving cash and checks
on airport property. The ban applies to others groups, too.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness of
California sued in federal court in 1997 when the Los Angeles City
Council prohibited the receiving of donations at the city-owned
airport. The council later changed the law to allow solicitations
in designated areas until the initial federal lawsuit was filed.
U.S. District Court Judge Consuelo Marshall initially ruled in
the Hare Krishnas' favor. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
asked the California Supreme Court to decide the case because it
was a state law rather than federal law being challenged.
The Krishnas' lawyer, David Liberman, said no further appeals
appear possible.
"It's pretty conclusive and it doesn't look like there are any
loopholes," Liberman said. "As far as I can tell, it's over."