Pennsylvania: door-to-door soliciting ban struck down
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports: A Mt. Lebanon ordinance requiring door-to-door canvassers to register with the police department was struck down yesterday by a federal appeals court.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the registration requirement violates free speech rights guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth amendments.
The ruling sets new precedent throughout the court's jurisdiction, including all of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the Virgin Islands. No municipality may require permits or registration for those wanting to canvass a community for political, religious or other reasons -- provided they are not soliciting money. ...
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Mt. Lebanon on behalf of the Service Employees International Union and two women who planned to canvass the suburb as part of a get-out-the-vote campaign before the 2004 presidential election. -- Mt. Lebanon can't force door-to-door canvassers to register, court rules