Seeking Amicus Support for Important U.S. Supreme Court Case
California's Domestic Violence Prevention Act ("DVPA") has a residual clause definition of "abuse" that is unconstitutionally vague, and impermissibly grants unbridled discretion to issue a prior restraint. DV "abuse" can be found in any conduct that "destroys the mental or emotional calm" of the other person. In Alex Baker's case, domestic violence was found in his pending litigation against his ex-wife (and ex-business partner), "irrespective of whether the cases have any merit".
Moreover, the DV restraining order has gagged Alex, disallowing him from publishing court documents, and from contacting necessary trial witnesses, on the basis that doing so would emotionally upset his legal adversary. The California Court of Appeal found that these prior restraints of free speech and of the right to petition did not need to be narrowly tailored, and were not subject to a strict scrutiny analysis, simply because they were issued under a domestic violence statute.
Alex has filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court, which can be downloaded at this link:
Alex seeks amicus support. On June 24, 2019, the very day Alex filed the Petition, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in U.S. v Davis, which struck down a similar residual clause as void for vagueness. As Justice Gorsuch opined:
"Under our constitutional order, a vague law is no law".
Please consider supporting Alex's important First Amendment case with an amicus brief citing U.S. v. Davis, which now marks the third Supreme Court case in the last four years to strike down a residual clause definition of wrongdoing under the vagueness doctrine. With your support, let the the residual clause in the DVPA will be similarly done away with, and our First Amendment protected.
Thank you.
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