cannabisnews.com: Federal Court To Hear Arguments Federal Court To Hear Arguments Posted by CN Staff on April 20, 2004 at 11:22:04 PT For Immediate Release Source: Common Dreams Washington -- At 9:30 a.m. next Wednesday, April 28 the nation’s major drug policy reform groups will present oral arguments before Judge Paul L. Friedman in two consolidated lawsuits filed against the United States government and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for censoring the speech of those critical of the government’s “War on Drugs.”With more than $85 million at stake, WMATA rejected in February an advertisement submitted by the ACLU, Change the Climate, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Marijuana Policy Project that promotes the reform of our nation’s marijuana laws. The groups are challenging Section 177 of the 2004 federal spending bill, which directs Congress to deny federal funds to local transit authorities that display advertisements promoting “the legalization or medical use of any substance listed in Schedule I…of the Controlled Substances Act.”The lawsuits, filed on February 18, ask the court to declare the law unconstitutional because it coerces local transit authorities into censoring pure political speech protected by the First Amendment. The lawsuits name Norman Y. Mineta, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and Richard White, the CEO of WMATA, respectively, as defendants. The rejected advertisement, previous press releases, the plaintiff’s complaint, the United States government’s opposition brief, and the plaintiff’s reply brief can be found online at: http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy -- http://www.changetheclimate.org -- http://www.drugpolicy.org and http://www.mpp.orgComplete Title: Federal Court to Hear Arguments re: Government Censorship of Marijuana Law Reform Ads WHEN: Wednesday, April 28 at 9:30 a.m. ESTWHERE: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia333 Constitution Avenue, N.W. / Washington, D.C. 20001 Courtroom 17 – Open to the PublicWHO: Hadrian Katz, Arnold & Porter LLP, Counsel for PlaintiffsArthur B. Spitzer, ACLU of the National Capital AreaSteve Fox, Director of Government Relations of the Marijuana Policy ProjectBill Piper, Director of National Affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance WHAT: Oral arguments in challenge to government censorship of marijuana law reform advertisements. Spokespersons for the groups bringing the challenge will be available after the hearing. Contact: Drug Policy Alliance Tony Newman 646-335-5384Anjuli Verma (203) 787-4188 Source: Common Dreams (ME)Published: April 20, 2004Copyright: 2004 Common DreamsContact: editor commondreams.org Website: http://www.commondreams.org/Related Articles:Suit Targets Ban on Pro-Pot Adshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18362.shtmlFeds Face Lawsuit in Censorship Fight http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18359.shtmlACLU Sues Metrorail, City Over Marijuana Ads http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18356.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by jose melendez on April 20, 2004 at 23:57:28 PT perceived harm? like prison, rape and asset loss? I still have yet to hear a satisfactory explanation as to why it is legal to suppress, omit or otherwise withhold true, material and relevant facts at trial. Whole truth and nothing but, indeed!from: http://www.advocate.com/new_news.asp?ID=12081&sd=04/16/04The couple pleaded guilty in October after the judge ruled that they could not tell a jury during a trial that they were growing marijuana for medicinal purposes and with the support of West Hollywood city officials and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. California voters approved a ballot measure legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana in 1996. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by SystemGoneDown on April 20, 2004 at 11:41:42 PT This is big news... If we win this argument, this is the most prolific chance we have of adverting public opinion in mass proportions. Boy, if FoxNews Entertainment would finally get the balls to give this topic some air time. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment