Powell's Books, Inc. et al v. Myers et al

Filing 8

Declaration of David Findanque. Filed by all plaintiffs. (eo)

Powell's Books, Inc. et al v. Myers et al

Doc. 8

P.K. Runkles-Pearson, OSB No. 061911 [e-mail] S T O E L R I V E S LLP 9 0 0 S W F i f t h A v e n u e , Suite 2 6 0 0 Portland, O R 97204 Telephone: ( 5 0 3 ) 2 2 4 - 3 3 8 0 Facsimile: ( 5 0 3 ) 2 2 0 - 2 4 8 0 M i c h a e l A. B a m b e r g e r [e-mail] Rachel G. Balaban [e-mail] S O N N E N S C H E I N N A T H & R O S E N T H A L LLP 1221 Avenue o f the Americas, 24th Floor N e w Y o r k , N Y 10020 Telephone: ( 2 1 2 ) 7 6 8 - 6 7 0 0 Facsimile: (212) 7 6 8 - 6 8 0 0 Attorneys for Plaintiffs

U N I T E D STATES D I S T R I C T C O U R T D I S T R I C T OF O R E G O N

CV '08 - 0 50 t - t1n
P O W E L L ' S BOOKS, INC., e t aI., Plaintiffs, v. H A R D Y M Y E R S , i n h i s o f f i c i a l c a p a c i t y as ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF OREGON, e t aI., Defendants. Civil N o . DEC LARA n O N O F D AVID FIDANQUE

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I, DAVID FIDANQUE, certify and declare as follows:
1. I am t h e E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r o f t h e A m e r i c a n Civil L i b e r t i e s U n i o n o f O r e g o n ,

Inc. (the " A C L U o f Oregon"), a plaintiff in this action. I submit this declaration o n b e h a l f o f the A C L U o f O r e g o n i n s u p p o r t o f p l a i n t i f f s ' m o t i o n f o r a preliminary i n j u n c t i o n t o enjoin t h e S t a t e from enforcing ORS 167.051 t o 167.057 (the "Statute"), an unconstitutional censorship statute that will restrict the civil liberties o f the ACLU o f Oregon's members. 2. The ACLU o f Oregon is an Oregon nonprofit corporation organized for the public

benefit with a membership o f over 17,000 people, all o f w h o m live o r work in Oregon. The ACLU o f Oregon is a nonpartisan advocacy organization. Since 1955, it has been dedicated to the preservation and enhancement o f civil liberties and civil rights. I t believes that the freedoms o f press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights t o due process, equal protection, and privacy, are fundamental t o a free people. The ACLU o f Oregon lobbies t o prevent the passage o f laws that would undermine civil liberties and civil rights, and t o encourage passage o f laws that would enhance civil rights and civil liberties. The ACLU o f Oregon also supports educational outreach designed t o influence public opinion on civil liberties and civil rights Issues. Fear o f Prosecution Under the Statute 3. The ACLU o f Oregon fears that its members may b e at risk o f criminal

p r o s e c u t i o n u n d e r t h e S t a t u t e f o r p e r m i t t i n g m i n o r s t o access c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y p r o t e c t e d m a t e r i a l which could be deemed "sexually explicit" o r to appeal t o a person's "sexual desires" under the meaning o f the Statute. 4. Under ORS 167.054, it is a crime t o "intentionally furnish" o r "intentionally

permit" anyone under the age o f 13 to view "sexually explicit material" i f the accused "k n o w s

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that the material is sexually explicit material." O R S 167.054(1). Such material includes material containing visual i m a g e s - i n c l u d i n g paintings and d r a w i n g s - o f masturbation, intercourse o r genital/oral/anal contact between people and animals. See ORS 167.051(5). I t could be interpreted t o include materials used by t h e public at large, including the ACLU o f Oregon's members. "[F]urnish" is defined broadly, including " t o sell, give, rent, loan o r otherwise provide." See ORS 167.051(2). 5. ORS 167.054 provides two exceptions t o prosecution. First, under ORS

167.054(2)(a), certain persons, including employees o f museums, schools, medical treatment providers, or public libraries, may not be prosecuted. I n most circumstances, members o f the ACLU o f Oregon would not fall into that exception. Second, u n d e r ORS 167.054(2)(b), m e m b e r s o f t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n would n o t b e l i a b l e i f t h e s e x u a l l y e x p l i c i t p o r t i o n s o f t h e material f u r n i s h e d , o r p e r m i t t e d t o b e v i e w e d , " f o r m merely a n i n c i d e n t a l p a r t o f a n o t h e r w i s e n o n o f f e n d i n g w h o l e and s e r v e s o m e p u r p o s e o t h e r t h a n t i t i l l a t i o n . " I b e l i e v e t h a t e x c e p t i o n i s inherently vague. I t provides no clear standard t h a t members o f the ACLU o f Oregon may use t o determine what specific material qualifies for that exception. 6. I understand that ORS 167.054 and 167.057 contain a number o f affirmative

defenses that criminal defendants may assert t o avoid liability u n d e r t h e Statute. I n some instances, members o f the ACLU o f Oregon may b e able to assert those defenses. However, a s s e r t i n g a n a f f i r m a t i v e d e f e n s e w o u l d n o t g u a r a n t e e members o f t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n i m m u n i t y f r o m p r o s e c u t i o n o r a s u c c e s s f u l d e f e n s e t o prosecution. E v e n i f t h e y w e r e a b l e t o assert the defense successfully, the defense would not exempt them from the expense, inconvenience, and stigma o f a criminal prosecution. Therefore, the availability o f the

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affirmative defense does not remove t h e chilling effect t h a t t h e Statute has o n t h e constitutionally p r o t e c t e d a c t i v i t i e s o f t h e m e m b e r s o f t h e A C L U o f Oregon. 7. U n d e r ORS 167.057, i t is a crime t o disseminate t o anyone u n d e r t h e age o f 18 a

" v i s u a l r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o r explicit v e r b a l d e s c r i p t i o n o r n a r r a t i v e a c c o u n t o f s e x u a l c o n d u c t " f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f " a r o u s i n g o r satisfying t h e sexual desires o f t h e p e r s o n o r t h e minor . . ." I u n d e r s t a n d t h a t is a v e r y b r o a d p r o v i s i o n e n c o m p a s s i n g m a t e r i a l w i t h t e x t u a l descriptions, as well as visual depictions. It could b e interpreted t o include many materials u s e d by t h e general public, including members o f t h e A C L U o f Oregon. I also b e l i e v e t h a t ORS 167.057 is v a g u e because t h e p h r a s e " a r o u s i n g o r satisfying the sexual desires" is o p e n to a wide variety o f interpretations. ORS 167.057 is also v a g u e b e c a u s e i t contains t h e same undefined and v a g u e " i n c i d e n t a l p a r t " e x c e p t i o n c o n t a i n e d in O R S 167.054. 8. U n d e r ORS 167.057, furnishing a 1 7 - y e a r - o l d m i n o r w i t h p r o h i b i t e d m a t e r i a l s i s a

crime i f t h e material is furnished for t h e purpose o f satisfying t h e sexual d e s i r e o f t h e 17-yearold. As stated above, many materials u s e d b y t h e general public, including members o f t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n , c o n t a i n sexually r e l a t e d c o n t e n t t h a t m a y b e s e x u a l l y a r o u s i n g t o some teenagers. U n d e r ORS 167.057, therefore, m e m b e r s o f t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n w o u l d b e committing a felony i f a 17-year-old obtained materials f r o m t h e m in o r d e r to satisfy t h e m i n o r ' s s e x u a l d e s i r e o r f o r t h e m i n o r t o b e c o m e s e x u a l l y a r o u s e d w h i l e r e a d i n g t h o s e materials. 9. A s s t a t e d above, m a n y m a t e r i a l s u s e d b y t h e g e n e r a l p u b l i c , i n c l u d i n g m e m b e r s o f

t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n , c o n t a i n d e p i c t i o n s o r n a r r a t i o n s o f s e x u a l a c t i v i t y . A t l e a s t annually, s t a f f and m e m b e r v o l u n t e e r s o f t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n d o e d u c a t i o n a l o u t r e a c h t o t h e p u b l i c r e g a r d i n g b o o k s and o t h e r material w h i c h have b e e n banned, challenged o r otherwise s u b j e c t e d to c e n s o r s h i p o r a t t e m p t s a t c e n s o r s h i p in O r e g o n and e l s e w h e r e . M a n y o f t h o s e w o r k s h a v e b e e n

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subjected to challenge because they contain discussion o r depictions o f sexual activity. When the ACLU does such outreach, it often displays copies o f particular b o o k s and other material w h i c h have b e e n b a n n e d o r c h a l l e n g e d a n d i t s s t a f f a n d v o l u n t e e r s a l l o w m e m b e r s o f t h e p u b l i c , including minors, to review t h e material. The A C L U o f Oregon believes that, under the Statute, such outreach activities may no longer b e permissible o r at t h e very least would subject s t a f f and m e m b e r v o l u n t e e r s o f t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n t o a substantial r i s k o f criminal p r o s e c u t i o n u n d e r ORS 167.057. 10. A s stated above, it is impossible t o tell, given the vagueness o f the statute,

whether materials used and provided b y the A C L U o f Oregon and its members " s e r v e some p u r p o s e o t h e r t h a n titillation" o r w h e t h e r t h e y " f o r m m e r e l y a n incidental p a r t o f a n otherwise n o n o f f e n d i n g w h o l e . " I b e l i e v e t h e o n l y w a y f o r m e m b e r s o f t h e A C L U o f O r e g o n to e n s u r e compliance u n d e r the Statute would b e t o stop using and disseminating those materials entirely. 11. I n short, i f the Statute is not enjoined, then members o f the ACLU o f Oregon will

b e f o r c e d t o e i t h e r r i s k criminal l i a b i l i t y o r t o r e s t r i c t t h e i r c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y p r o t e c t e d e x p r e s s i v e and associational activities. 12. F o r all the reasons stated above, t h e ACLU o f Oregon fears that its s t a f f and

m e m b e r s w i l l b e p r o s e c u t e d u n d e r t h e S t a t u t e . I t r e q u e s t s t h a t such p r o s e c u t i o n b e e n j o i n e d . I declare under penalty o f perjury that t h e foregoing is true and correct. DATED: April

t.£ 2008.

David Fidanque

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