Court Strikes Blow For Humanity

A California businessman Monday lost a Supreme Court challenge to the state’s ban on fully automated telephone sales pitches.

The court, without comment, turned down the businessman’s argument that the state laws imposing such restrictions violate his free-speech rights.

Two California laws restrict the use of machines that automatically dial telephone numbers and play pre-recorded messages. The federal government and at least 40 other states have laws restricting automated sales calls. The federal law was upheld in February 1995 by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

William Bland of Orange, Calif., was using automatic devices to promote his carpet-cleaning business in 1994 when he was notified by the telephone company that it would cut off his service unless he started using live operators.

Bland stopped using the devices. But he and the National Association of Telecomputer Operators filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state laws on free-speech grounds.