Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in New York

Does Federal Law supersede Town ordinance?

One of my company's sales representatives received a summons by a police officer for ''soliciting in [XYZ town] without a permit.'' We sell our products business to business directly to the owners or managers of the companys. We do all of our sales inside private businesses - not on town property.

In addition, the Supreme Court overruled a town ruling on June 17, 2002 allowing Jahova Witnesses and Girl Scouts to sell/prosthelitize door to door, overturning an Ohio Villiage law requiring a permit for such undertakings stating the town law was ''offensive to the values protected under the First Amendment of the COnstitution.''

I have a legitimate business and I pay my sales tax.

Does a local ordinance take precidence over the rights protected under the First Amendment?

Thank you


Asked on 5/19/03, 3:17 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Kenneth J. Ashman Ashman Law Offices, LLC

Re: Does Federal Law supersede Town ordinance?

Obviously, federal law -- especially, federal constitutional rights -- take precedence over a local town's ordinance. That statement, however, begs the question.

The question is whether, in fact, you (or, more appropriately, your employee) have a Constitutional right to engage in the type of solicitation for which your employee was cited. The answer (if there is one) would take some legal research, especially because commercial "speech" is much less protected than other types of "speech."

In short, you raise an interesting issue; however, other than, perhaps, a law student, I don't know of anyone who would be willing to put the time into performing the legal research necessary to answer it without compensation, as it would be moderately time-consuming.

-- Kenneth J. Ashman; www.AshmanLawOffices.com; [email protected]

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Answered on 5/21/03, 10:37 pm


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