Whatever
Happened To...
An update on past news
Group appealing court’s
refusal to overturn ban
on aerial signsQuestion: What ever happened to the legal challenge mounted by the anti-abortion group that wants to fly large banners, depicting graphic images of aborted fetuses, over Waikiki?
Answer: The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform Inc., a California-based nonprofit, has claimed that the city's 1996 ban on aerial advertising violates its First Amendment right to free speech.
In August, U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken rejected its claim, and the group then appealed the ruling before a three-member panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Deputy Corporation Counsel Greg Swartz.
The appeal was denied last month, and the group has filed a petition for a rehearing before the entire 9th Circuit, he said.
The Outdoor Circle and a similar national organization, Scenic America, have filed "friend of the court" briefs in support of the city's position, Swartz said.
Outdoor Circle officials have said the aerial banners threaten the islands' beauty and its visitor industry.
The anti-abortion group has flown colorful banners -- some 50 feet tall by 100 feet long -- in other states over heavily populated areas, including beaches.
The group contends that the messages are not advertising, but political speech aimed at informing as many people as possible in a safe and effective way.
The city has said the group already expresses itself by driving large trucks around Honolulu featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses.
Ever wonder what happened to a person, event or issue that has been in the news? We'll find out for you if you e-mail us at cityeditors@starbulletin.com, call us at 529-4747 or write 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana, Honolulu, HI 96813. "What Ever Happened to ..." runs Saturdays.