Elbert P. Tuttle United States Court of Appeals Building, Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Rebecca Breyer Eleventh Circuit Upholds Limits on Public Comments During City Council Meetings
"This is critical because absent those restrictions, a public hearing can devolve into chaos as anyone and everyone could use limited public hearing time either to engage irrelevant topics or behave in an inappropriate manner that distracts from the conduct of government business," said Edward Guedes, who represents the city of Homestead
September 17, 2024 at 06:35 PM
5 minute read
What You Need to Know
- The Eleventh Circuit upheld that city council meetings, like those in Homestead, Florida, are limited public forums.
- The ruling emphasizes that reasonable restrictions are necessary to maintain order during public meetings, preventing disruption or irrelevant discussions.
- The decision clarifies how courts should apply constitutional scrutiny in cases involving limited public forum cases.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, in a rare en banc hearing, has upheld a Florida city's rules governing public comments at local government meetings after a rare en banc hearing before all 11 of the court's judges.
By limiting comments at meetings to topics pertinent to the city, Homestead has greater power to limit speech at public meetings, the court ruled.
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