Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994 TAG: 9406010086
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to rein in the power of government-sponsored events such as fairs, festivals and parades to bar "inappropriate" groups from participating.
The court, with one dissenting vote, turned aside the appeal of an anti-abortion group that said its free-speech rights were violated when it was excluded from the 1990 "Great Pumpkin Festival" in Frankfort, Ky.
The festival is sponsored by Downtown Frankfort Inc., a private organization that took over running the event from the city government.
Capitol Area Right to Life participated in the 1989 festival. Many people complained, particularly about the anti-abortion group's giving plastic fetuses to children.
- Associated Press
Workers can be fired for speech
Public employees can be fired for making insubordinate statements even if some of their statements are constitutionally protected free speech, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
However, the court's 7-2 decision in an Illinois case said employers must investigate first to find out whether only protected speech was involved.
The decision set aside a federal appeals court ruling that said Macomb, Ill., nurse Cheryl Churchill was entitled to a trial in her civil rights lawsuit against the public hospital that fired her.
- Associated Press
ACLU hails ruling on religious display
The American Civil Liberties Union hailed Tuesday's refusal by the U.S. Supreme Court to let Cobb County, Ga., display the Ten Commandments in its courthouse.
"It's very much a victory," said Teresa Nelson, director of the Georgia ACLU. "The Supreme Court has continued to maintain with this ruling that church and state should be kept separate."
The Supreme Court let stand lower court rulings that forced Cobb County to remove the 3-by-5-foot panel depicting the Ten Commandments and teachings of Jesus.
- Associated Press
States allowed to regulate water flow
In a victory for environmentalists, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that states can require hydroelectric project developers to assure that river water flows are sufficient to protect fish habitats.
The court, dividing 7-2, sided with the Washington state Department of Ecology against the city of Tacoma and the Jefferson County, Wash., public utility district.
- Hearst Newspapers
Mistaken arrest decision to come
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to decide whether arrests based on faulty computer records are good-faith mistakes that don't necessarily require throwing out all evidence seized afterwards.
The justices said they will decide whether Arizona prosecutors may use evidence seized after a Phoenix man was arrested because a police computer wrongly listed an outstanding warrant against him.
The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that marijuana seized from Isaac Evans could not be used as evidence against him because it followed an unlawful arrest.
- Associated Press
Revival of talk-show lawsuit refused
A Texas woman who gave birth at age 11 after being raped by her stepfather failed in a Supreme Court bid Tuesday to revive her lawsuit against TV host Phil Donahue for letting her mother tell the story on his show.
The court, without comment, let stand rulings that cited free-speech considerations in throwing out the lawsuit against Donahue and others, including the rape victim's mother.
- Associated Press
by CNB