Rodney Keister v. Stuart Bell, in His Official Capacity as President of the University of Alabama, et al.
SocialSecurity FirstAmendment DueProcess
Does the presence of adjacent college campus buildings negate the First Amendment public forum status of a sidewalk running along a public street?
QUESTIONS PRESENTED Except in the unique setting of a military installation, this Court has never held that a public sidewalk running alongside a public street was anything but a traditional public forum. Here, the Eleventh Circuit reached a contrary result. The questions presented are: 1. Does the presence of adjacent college campus buildings negate the First Amendment public forum status of a sidewalk running along a public street? 2. Did the Eleventh Circuit err by holding that a virtual ban on leafletting and street preaching on a public sidewalk is not likely to violate the First Amendment right to free speech? ii PARTIES The petitioner is listed on the cover. The respondents, below, are Stuart Bell, sued in his official capacity as President of the University of Alabama; John Hooks, sued in his official capacity as Chief of Police for the University of Alabama Police Department; and Mitch Odom, suedin both his individual capacity and his official capacity as Police Lieutenant for the University of Alabama Police Department.