Powell v. Noble et al

Case Summary: 14-cv-00236

Plaintiff, Jason Powell, brings an action against Defendants Larry Noble, Commissioner of the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety; Gary Slater, CEO of the Iowa state fair; Michael Cunningham, Trooper with the Iowa State Patrol, and Officer D. Smith for an alleged deprivation of his First Amendment right to freely express his religion. The events leading to this case show that Plaintiff, a professing Christian, had gone to the Iowa State Fairgrounds to express his religious beliefs to individuals entering and leaving the fair. Plaintiff was approached by Defendant Officer Smith and was told to move across the street to continue his activity or he would be charged with trespassing. Plaintiff seeks to prevent Defendants from interfering with his activity. Defendant counters, alleging that Plaintiff’s activity was interfering with the flow of pedestrian traffic and caused a safety hazard to pedestrians. 

This video presents a hearing on a Motion for Preliminary Injunctive Relief brought by Plaintiff. The Court hears oral arguments for both parties. Plaintiff and Defendants both call witnesses regarding the property of the Iowa State Fairgrounds, the traffic of the pedestrians, and the location where Plaintiff was standing. The Court indicates that it will review the arguments and reach a decision.

Case Highlights

• Complaint filed 6/17/2014 (Doc #1)
• Motion for Preliminary Injunction filed 6/19/2014 (Doc #3)
• Answer filed 7/14/2014 (Doc #11)

Case-related documents, including those referenced above, are available via the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service. For more information, visit Pacer.gov.