4/20 at CU: University on possible lawsuit to block campus closure and more

By Michael Roberts Fri., Mar. 15 2013 at 9:59 AM

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While speaking about CU-Boulder's plan to close the campus again on April 20 in an effort to end the 4/20 event there, spokesman Bronson Hilliard stressed the need to communicate clearly about the university's rationale, and he wasn't kidding. After we published posts about a threatened lawsuit to block the plan and a chat with a student leader who opposes the closure, Hilliard called to reiterate, tweak and/or expand upon prior statements or respond to comments that may strike others as utterly noncontroversial.

Let's take the topics one at a time, shall we?

The Possible Lawsuit:

Rob Corry.

In our Wednesday post, we reported that attorney Rob Corry and possible plaintiff Rob Smoke had floated the possibility of taking court action to stop CU-Boulder from closing the campus on grounds pertaining to free speech and expression related to political protest. "Personally, I don't view it as them stopping someone's party, even if the media wants to paint that picture," Smoke wrote via Facebook. "Myself, others, have had friends die in prison on an MJ sentence. 4/20 is a global protest/political event for reform, but also against imprisonment. Social action -- gathering for redress -- is essential in a free society and guaranteed under the Constitution."

The item pointed out that Corry, with Smoke as a plaintiff, had taken this same tack last year, but a judge sided with CU-Boulder. Hilliard (disclosure: a longtime friend of yours truly) stresses the university's confidence that it would prevail again should another complaint be filed.

Rob Smoke.

"The university feels like it's on pretty strong legal grounds, and not just because of the decision last year by the Boulder court," he says. "In general, there is no First Amendment right to come onto the campus' property to engage in something that's prevented by both Amendment 64 and federal law," meaning smoking marijuana in public. "So we feel like we're on strong footing. We think Pat O'Rourke and John Sleeman" -- the attorneys who handled the case last year -- "made a compelling argument that the university's grounds are a limited public forum."

For example, he goes on, "They don't meet the same public-forum standards as a park. And the court ruled that the university can take reasonable measures to protect its mission of research and teaching."

Continue for more CU-Boulder responses about the plan to close campus on April 20.

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alexandermcna

1 Like

The library quad may not be a legal public forum, but the fountain courtyard behind the UMC sure is. Its a lot smaller than the quad for sure, but it is the legally sanctioned public forum on the University campus. See section 11 for info: http://www.colorado.edu/policies/CUUF. You can have a legal and sanctioned approved or unapproved gathering of up to 1500 people in the UMC fountain courtyard. It is a sanctioned free speech area on campus set aside for this purpose. A student coalition should responsibly reserve the UMC quad on 4/20 from 4:00-4:45pm.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@alexandermcna "the fountain"

Hey Kid, show some respect for the martyrs of Free Speech -- it's the DALTON TRUMBO Fountain

alexandermcna

1 Like

A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious. While Dalton Trumbo is a class act and stood up against persecution and oppression of free speech, he is hardly a martyr. Dalton Trumbo died in Los Angeles of a heart attack at the age of 70 on September 10, 1976. He donated his body to science.Learn some English before you start trolling and making yourself look like a fool.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

1 Like

@alexandermcna ... he suffered SOCIAL and Career DEATH via his principled stand for Freedom of Speech ... so that disrespectful punks like you could use HIS fountain and not even have the courtesy to CREDIT HIS NAME.

Go fuck yourself now, you ungrateful little puke.

Mozart99

So Hilliard says that because there is so much debate on the Boulder campus it is okay to violate the right of free speech egregiously for one day. Odd that the gun rights supporters accept this kind of government intervention.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Mozart99 ... gun-loons are inherently cowards.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay @Mozart99 They feel the same about people who insist everyone must run to mommy government for security, however obvious it is that security is best handled by the individual desiring it.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay Ever wonder why Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires? It's because it's a huge place where the people have learned to take care of themselves without a large and easily identifiable central government. There's nothing to take over. To make matters worse, they're well-armed (part of that individual responsibility thing.) A Japanese admiral once suggested that if Japan were to invade the United States, there would be "a gun behind every blade of grass." I think he knew more about it than you do.

I'll stick to my individual liberty and responsibility, thank-you-very-much.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Cognitive_Dissident

Afghanistan = the Graveyard of Empires!

It takes more than just the availability of guns to make a free people ... it takes courage ... it takes a citizenry willing to USE those guns -- however outnumbered and outgunned they may be -- to fight and DIE for their freedom ...

... traits the average American gun-loon doesn't possess.

Why not deploy to one of those war-torn 3rd world gun havens as a private mercenary ... and get your bang on ...

... report back how that "gun freedom" -- not just to coddle and possess, but to actually FIRE and KILL -- feels.

Cognitive_Dissident topcommenter

@DonkeyHotay @Cognitive_Dissident That's true by definition. Society, worldwide, is still in the criminal gang stage of development.

Somalia, Haiti and Afghanistan, of course are the playthings of empires, and currently unable to fully and successfully resist, but Afghanistan gets credit for destroying the most aggressing troups. Yet, all of them are really in competitions for competing monopoly-violence states.

Anyway, back on track and away from your delusions. No one is talking unlimited firearms freedom--most would be happy with constitutional government.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

@Cognitive_Dissident ... yet for all the supposed benefit of your imaginary Liberkookian dystopia ... there isn't a single country/society on planet Earth that practices it by design ... the failed nation-states of Somalia, Haiti and Afghanistan notwithstanding.

You want unlimited Firearm Freedom, move to a war zone.

kadargo

This is gonna be fun to watch again this year. Thanks for the entertainment, CU!

chugmeister

1 Like

Have another drink you fat fuck.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

1 Like

Hey Mikey, you forgot to categorize / keyword this story under Marijuana.

Stoned again?

ps: Have you and Sederberg figured out how many Eighths are in an Ounce yet?

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

Hey Mikey ... it's been over 22 hours and you still haven't properly categorized / tagged this story with Follow That Story, Marijuana.

If WW beancounters ever wonder why reader traffic -- and ad revenue -- is down on certain stories, you'll be able to tell them exactly why.

DonkeyHotay topcommenter

Hey Mikey ... it's been 3 hours and you still haven't properly categorized / tagged this story with Follow That Story, Marijuana.

Are you trying to bury the story because it shows that the stoners will LOSE AGAIN, or does WW simply not want the internet cross-traffic that proper tags would bring ... or are you just too fucking lazy to correct your mistake?

CoreyDonahue topcommenter

2 Like

In general, there is no First Amendment right to come onto the campus' property to engage in something that's prevented by both Amendment 64 and federal law,"

Tanks for making a legal protest against cannabis prohibition illegal. With legalization like this who needs prohibition. God Bless A64!!!