Supreme Court Decides 8-1 in U.S. v. Stevens

April 20, 2010 | Category: Featured,Industry News | By: Down Range TV

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Voting 8-1, the United States Supreme Court upheld a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that voided the conviction of a Virginia man saying it violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Supreme Court’s majority opinion was authored by Chief Justice Roberts.

The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) took a lead role in bringing journalists and outdoor industry organizations together in support of the First Amendment argument presented before the Court by Robert Steven’s attorney Patricia Millett.

“POMA is grateful to the Court for this important decision,” said Laurie Lee Dovey, POMA executive director. “The First Amendment rights of traditional outdoor sports journalists, those who cover legal hunting and fishing and promote the enjoyment of these American heritage sports, are protected. The impact of this decision on POMA members, all journalists, and the outdoor industry can not be overstated.”

L to R: Patricia Millett, Laurie Lee Dovey, Beth Heifetz.

Dovey went on to express POMA’s gratitude to Millett and the organization’s attorney Beth Heifetz of Jones Day, who crafted POMA’s amicus curiae brief, which was cited in the Court’s opinion. She also recognized the organizations who supported POMA’s brief, including the American Society of Media Photographers, Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, Texas Outdoor Writers Association and Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association.

“Mr. Stevens is pleased and extremely grateful for the Supreme Court’s thoughtful consideration of his case and the decision vindicating his right, and that of all other Americans, to speak freely and to educate the public,” said Millett. “Acts of animal cruelty are abhorrent and rightly condemned. Laws banning such conduct remain fully protected, as they should be. But we cannot forget how critical the free flow of information is to educating the public about the problems of animal cruelty and the need for legislative and prosecutorial action to combat it.

“The Court’s decision today is a victory not just for Mr. Stevens but also for all others who write about , photograph, and film the lives of animals in order to educate the public about lawful activities like hunting and fishing, animal conservation issues, and the lives of wild, endangered, and little known species,” Millett added. “Today the Supreme Court reinforced the protections for all who document the lives of animals and the many people who, like him, are fighting to end the mistreatment of animals and want to be able to tell the animals’ stories without fear of imprisonment or censorship. Mr. Stevens is particularly grateful to the leadership POMA showed in filing an influential amicus brief with the Supreme Court, which the Supreme Court relied upon in its decision.”

Read the background for this case here.

Hear more from POMA tonight on NRANew.com’s Cam and Company program (April 20, 9:40 p.m.).

Read the Supreme Court’s full opinon in U.S. v. Stevens.

The Professional Outdoor Media Association is a group of individual communicators and Corporate Partners who believe in, defend, support and promote the heritage of hunting, fishing, shooting and traditional outdoor sports through writing, photography and other means. By doing so, members hope to educate the general public about these sports and encourage more participation in them. The organization serves the membership by helping members grow professionally, improve their skills, better their working environments and enhance their businesses. www.professionaloutdoormedia.org