Grant v. Trial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Summary

The court held that the appeal became moot because the trial ended and the challenged buffer-zone order expired, leaving no injunctive or declaratory relief that could affect the demonstrators' legal interests. The capable-of-repetition exception did not apply because, although the order's duration was too short for full litigation, the demonstrators could not show a reasonable, non-speculative expectation that they would again face the same restriction. The court vacated the district court's partial denial of a preliminary injunction and directed dismissal of that portion of the case.