Otosport: U.S. Judge Dean Pregerson Upholds 1st Amendment Rights for Hollywood Street Performers

Saturday, November 20, 2010

U.S. Judge Dean Pregerson Upholds 1st Amendment Rights for Hollywood Street Performers

According to the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, "Right, as stated in the 1st and 14th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content." Long story short, Judge Dean Pregerson agreed that the street performers and costume characters
had rights to be on Hollywood Blvd without the threat of arrest or harassment by the LAPD on Wednesday, November 17, 2010. "It may not seem like a traditional form of free speech, but their right to perform is protected under that provision of the U.S. Constitution," wrote Judge Pregerson in his ruling reported by Robert Jablon of the Associated Press.
It was also stated in Jablon's article covered by the Sacramento Bee that "Chamber President Leron Gubler said as many as 60 characters sometimes congregate before dawn in front of the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre, where they crowd tourists into the street and refuse to move unless their photos are taken." I have to refute that claim. It would be too easy to call it a bold face lie,
and that would make me no better than the politicians and the police who lied, slandered and treated all the street performers as a unwanted "gang" instead of treating us as citizens and individuals. The Chamber of Commerce President Leron Gubler is mistaken, which can easily be proven by photographing Hollywood Blvd at dawn. When was there ever 60 characters on the blvd before 9am? Before Noon? Also I don't know the exact length of Hollywood Blvd but when characters are spread out down the length of the blvd, there is enough room if everyone respects each other.
Show me the evidence. I hate to tell you this most of the characters arrive in the mid day. Definitely not dawn, there are no tourists there at dawn. Also Gubler said something similar to what Kerry Morrison did during an infamous BID Patrol and H.E.D. meeting, "We have had no one - and I repeat not one person - who has said they miss the characters," he said." That also is a lie. I've personally shot numerous videos over the last months
were I have interviewed tourists without editing on what they think about the characters. I have also sent links to the videos to Kerry Morrison's personal email. All this can be documented and proved. I don't like being bullied, slandered, harassed, threaten, given false loitering tickets, or having my or anyone else's 1st Amendment Rights being trambled on. I do not appreciate how Eric Garcetti, Tom LaBonge, Kerry Morrison, The LAPD, The BID Patrol as well as Leron Gubler has handled this matter. 1st Amendment and 14th Amendment Rights were violated.
I have no problem if someone is breaking the law that the police have the right to handle the situation in a lawful manner but to blatantly disregard the law of the land and treat some good people (all of the characters/street performers aren't bad just like all politicians and police aren't good) is unacceptable. Numerous people like myself tried to have a dialogue with the aforementioned and we were insulted, silenced, ignored, harassed and made to wait for justice. So when it comes time to re-elect for said parties, believe me when I say I will not be casting my vote for any of the people involved. I never said the situation on Hollywood was perfect, we have tried to resolve issues and even asked for permits like in Santa Monica but were told that they would cost $1,000 by Kerry Morrison and would take up to three years to process please see my previous article on the ban http://kattalestv.blogspot.com/2010/09/discussing-hollywood-blvd-characters.html
Please feel free to send the following testimonies to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President...