In re Steinberg

SUMMARY

This petition challenges the propriety of the juvenile court’s order seeking to obtain petitioner Stephen Steinberg’s 1 videotapes for viewing on grounds *16 that the order violates Steinberg’s First Amendment rights and constitutes an impermissible prior restraint.

Steinberg had gained access to a juvenile placement facility to make several documentary films based on his agreement to permit others to oversee his film project “in terms of concept and final editing.” Although we grant Steinberg’s writ of habeas corpus and vacate the juvenile court’s orders holding him in contempt for failing to allow it to view the unedited tapes, we determine that Steinberg agreed to a review of the final version of such films by the placement facility, the probation department and the juvenile court. Therefore, our decision to vacate the contempt orders does not absolve Steinberg of the duty to submit the final versions of the videotape documentaries to the placement facility, the probation department, and the juvenile court for review prior to public dissemination. Any objection to the content of the videotapes must be based on grounds that the content would be harmful or…