Wednesday, April 7, 1999

LAKELAND

Fly-In Ban in Federal Court

An emergency Circuit Court hearing requested by an
aviation publisher who is trying to prevent being banned
from the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In was canceled Tuesday and
the case moved to federal court.

James R. Campbell of Winter Haven, publisher of US
Aviator magazine, said in court documents last week
that Fly-In officials had threatened to have him arrested
for trespassing if he enters the Lakeland event, which
begins Sunday. He said it is because he has published
articles critical of the 25-year-old event.

Fly-In officials said they have not banned Campbell as a
journalist but as an individual, declining to give their
reasons.

On Monday, the Fly-In's attorney, John Wendel of
Lakeland, asked the U.S. District Court in Tampa to
take jurisdiction of the case because Campbell and his
attorney, Dan Moody of Bartow, raise U.S.
Constitution-related issues of freedom of the press.

Moody filed a request asking for either an emergency
hearing before Sunday or for the federal court to send
the case back to Circuit Court. The federal court has
not responded.