Developer Can’t Ban Photos, Leggett Says
From the Washington Post:
“County Executive Isiah Leggett weighed in on the debate over the protection of civil liberties in public-private space yesterday with a letter telling the developers of downtown Silver Spring that they cannot prevent people from taking pictures in public areas.
“The County considers Ellsworth to be a public forum permitting the free and unfettered exercise of First Amendment rights,” Leggett (D) said in the letter to PFA Silver Spring LC and the Peterson Companies.
A dispute over security vs. public access erupted after Chip Py, an amateur photographer, was stopped in June by a security guard while taking pictures on Ellsworth Drive in the heart of downtown and was told he needed permission. ”