By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services/Arizona Capitol Times
(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Senator Pearce and the State of Arizona on this matter.)
Public officials cannot ban people outright from their buildings even if they have caused a disturbance in the past, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
In a case with both constitutional and political implications, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said community activist Salvador Reza can pursue his civil suit against former state Senate President Russell Pearce. Reza claims Pearce violated his First Amendment rights by declaring he could not return to the Senate after an alleged disturbance in 2011 during a hearing on immigration legislation.