EUGENE (LN) — U.S. District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order to Prineville journalist Justin Alderman, blocking the Alfalfa Fire District from enforcing a trespass notice that had excluded him from attending the agency’s public meetings.

Alderman, who investigates the fire district, filed a pro se First Amendment lawsuit alleging the district violated his rights by barring his in-person attendance at public meetings and retaliating against his reporting.

The district adopted a new security policy during its April 8, 2026, public meeting, which limits public access to the fire station to the duration of public meetings and requires individuals to "promptly exit interior facilities" once the meeting ends.

After the April 8 meeting, Alderman sought to speak with board members about his investigations. District officials ordered him to leave, and when he remained on the property to speak with a member of the public, a district official threatened to call law enforcement.

Alderman eventually left after a law enforcement official told him he would be arrested if he did not leave.

On April 27, the district sent Alderman a "FORMAL NOTICE OF TRESPASS" prohibiting him and warning of criminal charges if he returned.

Alderman filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to restore his access to the May 13, 2026, public meeting.

Kasubhai found that the deprivation of Alderman’s First Amendment rights constitutes irreparable injury and that the balance of hardships tips sharply in the journalist’s favor.

The court determined that the fire station’s public meetings constitute a limited public forum where Alderman’s participation is protected speech.

While the district may regulate the time, place, and manner of speech, Kasubhai wrote that a "categorical exclusion from any public meeting based on isolated past incidents" is unreasonable.

"The restriction on Plaintiff’s ability to attend public meetings is unreasonable in light of the purpose of the public meetings," Kasubhai wrote, noting that the meetings are designed to facilitate public discourse.

The judge rejected the district’s argument that Alderman could attend via video conference, citing precedent that teleconference access is an insufficient alternative to in-person attendance at public meetings.

The court declined to address Alderman’s claims regarding the district’s restrictions on areas outside the fire station or allegations of retaliation, noting those issues require further record development.

The temporary restraining order enjoins the district from enforcing the trespass notice against Alderman for 14 days, allowing him to enter the facility within 30 minutes prior to the beginning and after the end of any public meeting.

No security is required for the order because there is "no realistic likelihood of harm to the defendant from enjoining [its] conduct."

A hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for May 26, 2026.