This whole page will deal with the story of the billboard industries' claim of cities not being able to prevent them from putting up billboards and digitals whereever they want because "it would violate their First Admendment Rights". Our webmaster is trying to put the stories in chronological order as he finds them.This process, out in Los Angeles started over FIVE YEARS ago before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on the matter. That is five years that the industry continued to put up all types of billboards - both legally and illegally AND COLLECT advertising fees for the rental of those signs to their customers. We have heard the same claim in Council Chambers here in San Antonio - "can't violate their First Amenedment Rights".

L.A. Billboard Fees Are Blocked

November 1, 2002   By David Rosenzweighttp://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/01/local in print edition B-3

Citing free speech guarantees, a federal judge has blocked the city of Los Angeles from collecting more than $3 million in annual fees from owners of outdoor billboards.

U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson said in a 17-page ruling made public Thursday that two billboard ordinances enacted earlier this year violate the 1st Amendment.

The ordinances, he said, favor commercial over noncommercial signs and regulate noncommercial signs based on their content, a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution.

He also said the ordinances are unconstitutionally vague and would cause serious harm to...

more pages to check out 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12