Point Reyes Light - December 24, 2003

IPUD fighting to fly UN flag

By Andrew Pridgen

Directors of the Inverness Public Utility District last week hired the Walnut Creek-based law firm Alborg, Veiluva & Epstein to defend their right to fly the UN flag on the firehouse green.

At issue is a lawsuit filed this month by Inverness resident Richard Matthews, whose request to fly the National Rifle Association flag with the UN’s was denied in August by district directors.

Matthews’ lawsuit claims the district violated his constitutional rights when they turned the NRA flag down while allowing the UN flag alongside the national and the state flags.

On Friday, the utility district filed a response to Matthews complaint with the US District Court in San Francisco.

In its answer, the utility district denies Matthew’s allegation that its refusal to fly the NRA flag "was calculated to – and has had the effect of – suppressing, chilling, and preventing conduct and speech that was [by the Constitution] protected."

Board president Barbara Dewey on Monday declined to expand on the arguments by IPUD’s lawyers but added, "I can say this: we are under time pressure. This is not something we do very often. Hopefully this won’t drag on, and we can attend to other matters."

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