David Esrati
| David Esrati | |
|---|---|
A yard sign from one of Esrati's campaigns
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| Born |
September 14, 1962 Celina, Ohio |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Bachelor of Science, Business |
| Alma mater | Wright State University |
| Occupation | Marketing |
| Years active | 1981-1987 7th Special Forces Group, USA |
| Employer | Self-employed |
| Organization | The Next Wave |
| Known for | Subject of legal precedent for comment at limited public forums |
| Website | www |
David Esrati (born September 14, 1962) is an activist, small-business owner and political campaigner in Dayton, Ohio. He has been characterized in the press for his confrontational style. Having regularly run for office for approximately twenty years without being elected, he may be considered an example of a perennial candidate, a term he uses to describe himself on his official website.
The successful appeal of his prosecution for disrupting a public meeting by wearing a ninja mask has been characterized by the Ohio Public Defender's Office and recognized Dayton v. Esrati as a precedent setting case with respect to public comment in limited public forums. In particular, this case has gained notice from legal scholars making recommendation on setting public comment policy. and by the First Amendment Center Dayton also played host to another precedent setting case identified by the Ohio Public Defender's Office which illustrated the importance of narrowly construed and un-content focused nature of rules for limited public forums that are necessary to respect the free speech rights of citizens while at the same time ensuring efficient execution of a public office holder's duties. A second balaclava-wearing by Esrati at a commission meeting in protest of proposed changes to citizen participation rules did not result in any legal action.
Through the course of the legal proceeding leading to Esrati's eventual victory he won against the City of Dayton and then Mayor Mike Turner in five courts. This expensive and futile effort by the City was highlighted in Wired magazine for setting precedent in free-speech at limited public forums, and for the foolishness of efforts to litigate against speakers unless they are being unruly.
Esrati's campaign style is based on Web 2.0 technology which results in competitive turnouts for significantly less spending than traditional campaigners. Esrati has run unsuccessfully for City Commission six times (beginning in the early 1990s), from which he said he's "learned a lot".
Esrati first sought a nomination in the Dayton Mayoral race of 1993, which Mike Turner, his prospective congressional opponent in 2010, won over Clay Dixon. This election was notable because of the physical confrontation between Esrati and Dixon which some say marked the end of Dixon's political career.
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Wikipedia