Right to Distribute Literature in Airport Terminals Upheld

A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld a decision by a Los Angeles judge who ruled that a total ban against First Amendment activities inside the passenger terminals at Los Angeles International Airport is unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie ruled in 1984 that Jews for Jesus were within their rights to distribute literature inside the terminals, holding that the passenger areas were a “public forum.”

The City of Los Angeles appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the terminals were for airport-related purposes and not for debates of public issues unrelated to the airport’s intended use.

The appellate court, however, agreed with Rafeedie, ruling that the city could regulate--but not prohibit--the distribution of literature inside airline terminals.