UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Concepcion Picciotto, et. al. )
Plaintiffs, )
)
v. ) Civil Action No. 87-3290-LFO
)
Donald Hodel, et. al. )
Defendants. )
MEMORANDUM
At a hearing on December 7, 1987, on plaintiffs' application
for a temporary restraining order, two of the plaintiffs made
arguments and statements. Defendants presented the testimony of
Steven J. Harrison of the U.S. Secret Service and Robert O.
Langston of the U.S. Park Police. They testified, among other
things, that in their opinion removal of the public from the
South End of Lafayette Park was required as a security measure
during visits by Mikhail Gorbachev to the White House. They, as
well as the Assistant United States Attorney, represented that
the defendants could and would instruct the officers in the
vacated area of Lafayette Park to use their best efforts to
protect the signs maintained by plaintiffs throughout the periods
during which plaintiffs are removed from the signs' vicinity.
Plaintiffs themselves undertook peaceably to remove any
possessions or paraphernalia of theirs, other than the stationary
signs, from the restricted area when requested
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to do so by the U.S. Park Police during the period of the notice.
Accordingly, in reliance on defendants representations, and
recognizing the authority granted to defendants by 18 U.S.C.
section 3056(a)(5) as well as 36 C.F.R. section 1.5, the Court
denied the application for a temporary restraining order from the
bench (a transcript of that order is attached.
Date: December 9, 1983
(signed) Louis F. Oberdorfer
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE
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Park Service Notice