cannabisnews.com: 3 Rivers Officials Won’t Bar Activists 3 Rivers Officials Won’t Bar Activists Posted by CN Staff on April 17, 2004 at 08:17:14 PT By John C. Drake, Staff Writer Source: The State Officials with the 3 Rivers Music Festival told a federal judge Friday that they would not kick out activists who stroll the festival distributing fliers this weekend, despite a written policy prohibiting the practice.With that commitment, Judge Cameron Currie put off a ruling on whether 3 Rivers’ policy infringed on the free speech rights of a group that advocates legalizing marijuana. But she admonished festival officials that the policy, as drafted, probably was unconstitutional.The Midlands Chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws had sued 3 Rivers and Columbia city officials over a policy, which is new this year, that prohibits nonprofit groups from leaving their assigned booths to distribute materials.The only ruling Currie made Friday was to deny NORML’s request for a temporary restraining order against enforcing the policy, saying the group was not at risk of suffering irreparable harm this weekend. That’s because 3 Rivers officials said the punishment for violating the policy probably would be a denial of future requests to appear at the festival.That gives both sides another year to work out their differences or return to court for a lengthier hearing.Currie did not rule on whether the 3 Rivers policy is constitutional, but she said it probably is not.“Unless you adopt a policy that applies to all organizations, not just not-for-profits, I do not think this is going to withstand constitutional scrutiny,” Currie said. “If you do it, you have to do it for everybody, and it has to be content-neutral.”Fred Monk, chairman of the 3 Rivers board, said festival officials would redraft a policy that applies to all groups.But Henry Koch, NORML chapter president, said his group would protest any policy that confines organizations to a booth.NORML argues that laws against marijuana are based on faulty information about the drug’s effects, Koch said. The group’s fliers solicit support for changing the laws. He insists NORML doesn’t distribute drugs or drug paraphernalia nor advocate breaking the law.As a result of the hearing, Koch said, members would be out in force at the festival this weekend, passing out materials.Last year, he said, NORML passed out about 6,000 fliers.Festival officials originally had turned down the group’s request for a booth this year. However, after ACLU officials cried foul, 3 Rivers relented, but drafted the policy requiring nonprofit groups to stay in their booths.Note: Federal judge puts off ruling whether festival’s policy infringes on group’s free speech rights.Source: State, The (SC)Author: John C. Drake, Staff WriterPublished: April 17, 2004Copyright: 2004 The StateContact: stateeditor thestate.comWebsite: http://www.thestate.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Midlands NORMLhttp://www.midlands-norml.org/Pro-Marijuana Group Sues 3 Rivers Festival http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18657.shtmlMarijuana Reform Group Wins Booth http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18656.shtml3 Rivers To Allow Pro-Marijuana Booth at Festivalhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18615.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by breeze on April 18, 2004 at 20:23:59 PT Fom- Duplicate post Please remove my previous post on the three rivers festival- it belonged in April 18th news about the festival. Thanks- Breeze [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Truth on April 17, 2004 at 11:00:42 PT nice : ) [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 17, 2004 at 10:31:27 PT Truth Check Out The Banner It assigned a banner that has ASA and others. CannabisNews General Message Board [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 17, 2004 at 09:04:49 PT Related Article from The Associated Press Marijuana Group Sues Music Festival Over First AmendmentSaturday, April 17, 2004COLUMBIA, S.C. - A group that advocates the legalization of marijuana can leave its booth during a three-day music festival here, but if it flaunts its message and literature throughout the festival it might not get a booth next year, an attorney for the festival said Friday.The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws was seeking a temporary injunction to keep the 3 Rivers Music Festival from insisting the group stay behind its booth, 3 Rivers attorney Jay Elliott said. The group didn't get the injunction Friday, but won the right to roam after the festival said it would do nothing if the group violated the rule."If somebody just wants to flaunt it in front of us, we're not going to do anything," Elliott said. "But the next year we're going to look pretty carefully at the application."NORML said the rule barring nonprofit groups from leaving their booths to pass out materials restricted its First Amendment rights. Officials with the ACLU, whose lawyers drafted the lawsuit, said the policy was unconstitutional because it limits only not-for-profit groups and because the festival is being held in a public place.Judge Cameron Currie did not rule on whether the policy was infringed on the free speech rights of NORML, but warned festival organizers that the rule likely was unconstitutional."Unless you adopt a policy that applies to all organizations, not just not-for-profits, I do not think this is going to withstand constitutional scrutiny," Currie said. "If you do it, you have to do it for everybody, and it has to be content-neutral."Elliott said the five-year-old festival, which draws roughly 25,000 people each day, could revamp its rules for advocacy groups.Henry Koch, president of the Midlands chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said after the hearing his group would protest any future policies that confine organizations to a booth.Koch said his group would be out in force at the festival this year passing out materials. He said last year was NORML's first at 3 Rivers and that members handed out about 6,000 pieces of literature.Originally the festival sought to keep NORML from even having a booth, but relented after the ACLU complained.Copyright: 2004 Associated Press Midlands NORML [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on April 17, 2004 at 08:45:27 PT Truth I'm glad you like it. I know it is simple but it could be nice to talk about non news and has a couple nice features. I even made one for Neil Young just for fun. I love the Internet. Go ahead and start a topic if you want. Neil Young Board [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Truth on April 17, 2004 at 08:32:15 PT The new board The new board looks great, it'll give us all a chance to chat more.The wheel is turnin....http://marthag.proboards20.com/index.cgi [ Post Comment ] Post Comment