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Post by Jesse Morrell on Oct 26, 2006 1:17:16 GMT -5
Street Preachers Threatened with Jail Time
An attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed a lawsuit against Gulfport, Miss., and its chief of police on behalf of two men threatened with arrest for expressing their faith on a public sidewalk.
Shannon Wallace and Wesley Sewell were holding signs and speaking about their Christian beliefs through a loudspeaker when police demanded they stop or face arrest. The two men were then advised to obtain a permit if they wished to continue street preaching.
When the pair approached city officials for such a permit, they were told no such policy existed and such speech would result in arrest for disturbing the peace.
Austin Nimock, an ADF-affiliated attorney, said city officials and the Police Department cannot be allowed to disregard citizens' rights.
"The First Amendment protects Christian speech and forbids the government from censoring it," he said. "Both Mr. Wallace and Mr. Sewell acted entirely within their rights when they chose to engage in religious expression on a public sidewalk.
"The city's harassment of these individuals and their activities is unconstitutional."
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Post by victorialewis on Oct 26, 2006 6:53:28 GMT -5
Will be praying for these men and ADF, and that God will be glorified.
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Oct 26, 2006 9:29:56 GMT -5
Cities Increasingly Challenging Street Preachers from staff reports
Some are fighting back in federal court.
Police in some cities are trying to silence preachers whose pulpit is the sidewalk.
In Wiggins, Miss., Shannon Wallace and Wesley Sewell were threatened with arrest for public preaching, but they're fighting back.
Austin Nimocks, an attorney representing them, described the runaround they faced.
"They were advised by the chief of police that preaching was not allowed on the streets in their city," he said. "Or that if they were going to do so that they would require a permit."
But Nimocks told Family News in Focus that Wiggins has no such restrictions or requirements. Wallace and Sewell have sued in federal court.
"What occurred here," Nimocks said, "was clearly a function of the nature of the speech and not the speech itself."
Nate Kellum, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, called it a disturbing and growing trend. He's handling similar cases in Wisconsin and Kentucky and said he knows of several others.
"What we are seeing is hostility towards Christianity," he said. "And it's being enforced by police officers."
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