This January 1st Daily News article describes the summonses policy being changed almost 2 months before

the Skyline appeals court ruling, which was February 23, 2012. It also quotes the Manhattan Borough Parks Commissioner Williams Castro hinting that the city may be re-considering the rules as they apply to performers. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-01/news/30580059_1_street-performers-nycpark-advocates-park-patrons Daily News 1/1/2012 Street artists say theyre performing again without fear of big fines in Washington Square Park - Rule barring tip performances within 50 feet of a monuments under fire It may be curtains for the controversial crackdown on street performers in city parks. Artists who had been slapped with huge fines for performing in Washington Square Park say the rule is no longer being enforced and many of their outstanding tickets were suddenly dismissedAt a recent community board meeting, Manhattan Borough Parks Commissioner Williams Castro hinted the city may be re-considering the rules. We are mindful of the concerns raised by some park patrons and we are further reviewing the impact of these rules in Washington Square Park, Castro said. In this detailed Villager article on the performer summonses dated December 22, 2011, the Assistant Parks Commissioner for Manhattan states that the City was considering exempting the performers in December 2011, months before the Skyline ruling. This was due to widespread public outcry and pressure from the media, lawyers for the performers, City Council members and Community Boards. The performer summonses were being universally attacked in the media. http://www.thevillager.com/?p=1091 A symphony of nos on Parks musician rules at speak-out The Villager December 22, 2011 The department seeks to regulate and accommodate a variety of activities and uses, Castro added, but he promised that the department would review and reconsider the enforcement policy that began in the park around May. These 2 articles give further background details: A Reprieve for Performers in Washington Square Park, NY Times May 17, 2012 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/nyregion/a-reprieve-for-performers-in-washingtonsquare-park.html A fine time for city park performers Daily News December 03, 2011 http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-12-03/news/30473072_1_street-performers-newrule-free-speech