July 10, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Begging for funds banned at LAX

A federal appeals panel Wednesday upheld a city ordinance that bans begging for funds inside the terminals, parking areas or sidewalks at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The city and the Hare Krishnas have been battling over the issue in court since the Los Angeles City Council adopted the ordinance in 1997.

In its opinion, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena determined that because the law is limited in nature and leaves open alternative channels for the Krishnas to raise money, the ordinance acts as “a reasonable restriction on protected speech” under the First Amendment.

The decision follows the appeal of a 2012 ruling by a Los Angeles federal judge which found the law to be constitutional because, among other things, LAX is not a public forum as defined under the First Amendment; the ordinance was “viewpoint neutral”; and any restrictions placed on freedom of expression at LAX were reasonable under the circumstances.

Major airports, such as LAX, “have a legitimate interest in controlling pedestrian congestion and reducing the risk of fraud and duress attendant to repetitive, in-person solicitation for the immediate receipt of funds,” Judge John T. Noonan wrote for the circuit court.

The International Society of Krishna Consciousness filed suit more than 17 years ago challenging the law banning the solicitation of contributions at LAX and other airports.

The ordinance has been enforceable since a ruling by the state Supreme Court in July 2010.

Related Posts

Pandemic Fraud Crackdown: Inglewood Woman Accused of Using Stolen IDs in $1.3M Scam

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Authorities Say Fake Claims Used Names of Prisoners and Out-of-State Residents Selena Stewart was arrested and arraigned Wednesday on a...

Unmasking ICE: Senators Push for Visible IDs After Secretive LA Immigration Raids

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bill Requires Federal Agents to Display Visible Identification During Raids U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on...

Bacio di Latte’s Beverly Hills Gelateria Debut Blends Italian Tradition with California Cool

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Gelateria Features In-House Gelato, Espresso Drinks, and Decadent Signature Flavors Bacio di Latte has officially opened its latest U.S. flagship...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

Brentwood Feels Impact as Feds Slash Office Leases Across Los Angeles

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

New Tracker Reveals Over 70,000 Square Feet Cut in 2025 Alone Los Angeles County’s office market is experiencing a fresh...

One Last Bite: La Novia Bids Farewell with Final Pop-Up at Cardinale du Vin

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Inventive Latin-Asian Pop-up Serves Seasonal Small Plates for One-Night-Only La Novia, the pop-up kitchen known for its inventive Latin-Asian flavors,...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

Governor Newsom Unveils Fast-Track Rebuilding Plan on Six-Month Anniversary of Palisades Fire

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

State Clears Over 5.5 Billion Pounds of Debris From Fires Ahead of Schedule Marking six months since the devastating Eaton...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

 CicLAvia to Transform Westside Streets for Car-Free Day in August

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Culver City, Mar Vista, and Venice to Host Open Streets Event  CicLAvia will return to the Westside this summer with...

Culver City Considers Expanding Immigrant Protections, Eyes Police Surveillance Reforms

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Council Advances Proposals to Limit License Plate Readers, Use of ALPR During a special meeting on June 30, the City...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

Bel Air and Holmby Hills Estates Lead May’s List of America’s Top 10 Home Sales

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

LA Claims Two of the Top Three Luxury Home Sales Last Month expensive residential transaction in the U.S. for May,...

Developer Seeks to Replace Mid-Century Building With 65 New Units in Palms

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Apartment Complex Near E Line May Be Demolished for Larger Housing Project Mid-century apartments near Metro’s Palms Station are set...

Michael Madsen, Star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, Dies at 67 in Malibu

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Actor Remembered for His Intense Performances and as a Poet  Actor Michael Madsen, known for his distinctive gravelly voice and...