Find Court Cases > Int. Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee

Int. Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee

Case Date: 03/25/1992
Docket No: none

Facts of the Case 

New York City's airport authority banned repetitive solicitation of money within airline terminals. Solicitation was permitted outside the terminals. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness solicits funds in public places. It challenged the regulation. A federal district court granted an injunction against the airport authority. The authority appealed.

Question 

Does the regulation violate the First Amendment free speech clause?

Argument Int. Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee - Oral ArgumentFull Transcript Text  Download MP3Int. Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee - Opinion AnnouncementFull Transcript Text  Download MP3 Conclusion  Decision: 6 votes for Lee, 3 vote(s) against Legal provision: Amendment 1: Speech, Press, and Assembly

No. An airport terminal is not a public forum. The regulation banning such activity need only satisfy a reasonableness standard. The regulation is reasonable. Solicitators may slow the path of possible contributors, cause duress or commit fraud. Therefore, the regulation is permissible. In a related case, the Court held invalid the airport authority's ban on literature distribution in airport terminals.