U.S. District Court Judge Orders Denver, Secret Service To Respond In 10 Days To ACLU Lawsuit Over DNC Security Plans

The latest update on the ACLU's lawsuit against the City of Denver and the Secret Service to disclose Democratic National Convention security plans indicates a rather earnest attempt to speed up the process:

The ACLU filed its lawsuit Friday morning on behalf of 12 groups who are planning to hold parades and demonstrations during the convention. That afternoon, District Judge Marcia S. Krieger gave the city and federal officials 10 business days to respond. Judge Krieger has not yet set a court date, which would be the next step in the process.

"It's not clear how the judge is going to proceed," said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado. "But the fact that the judge wanted a response right away indicates that the judge agrees that the case needs to be moved on a fast-track and that the concerns being articulated in our papers should get attention."
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After the ACLU announced its lawsuit on Friday, Denver City Attorney David Fine released a statement indicating that no group has been denied a parade permit and that there will be a "vigorous exercise of free speech" during the convention in "many ways and in many places."

However, Silverstein noted that the ACLU's lawsuit is designed to force the city and Secret Service to disclose the specifics of the parade routes - including exactly where and where demonstrators and others will be allowed to gather.

"The people who are not delegates, the people who want to participate in demonstrations and protests to communicate their views shouldn't be treated like they're some kind of irritating meddling interlopers," Silverstein said. "Their participation is equally a part of our democratic life and the government actors--the city and the Secret Service--have to treat their right to peaceful expression with the same respect that the delegate's rights receive."

The city and federal officials have until May 16 to respond.

Not only will the expedited release of information benefit said protestors/moonbats, it will alleviate some of the growing unease about the specifics of the as yet undisclosed security blanket cited by Denver residents and commuters.