Matthew Meinecke v. City of Seattle

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

MATTHEW MEINECKE, No. 23-35481

Plaintiff-Appellant, D.C. No. 2:23-cv- v. 00352-BJR

CITY OF SEATTLE; DANIEL

NELSON, Lieutenant, Seattle Police OPINION Department; ROBERT BROWN, Lieutenant, Seattle Police Department; SEAN CULBERTSON, Police Officer, Seattle Police Department,

Defendants-Appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington Barbara Jacobs Rothstein, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted February 7, 2024 Portland, Oregon

Filed April 18, 2024

Before: M. Margaret McKeown, Jay S. Bybee, and Daniel A. Bress, Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Bybee SUMMARY *

First Amendment/Heckler’s Veto

The panel reversed the district court’s denial of Matthew Meinecke’s motion for preliminary injunctive relief in a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action arising from two events—an abortion rally and LGBTQ pride event—at which Meinecke, a devout Christian, sought to read Bible passages and was arrested for obstructing a police officer after he refused to move…