Christians Arrested and prosecuted for Reading Bible Outside of DMV Last Year
We read:
"On Wednesday, a trial court in Riverside County, California, heard arguments why the prosecution’s case should be dismissed in the case of People v. Brett Coronado. Advocates for Faith & Freedom are defending Pastor Brett Coronado and Mark Mackey on misdemeanor charges after they were arrested in front of a California DMV while Mr. Mackey was reading the Bible out loud. The incident took place on February 2, 2011, in front of a group waiting for the DMV to open for business.
Both men have been spit on and threatened at other locations in the past when engaging in similar activities. As a result, it is their practice to video their evangelism to protect them from false accusations — just as appears to be occurring in this case.
Initially, when Mr. Mackey was arrested, the CHP officer stated that it was illegal to “preach to a captive audience.” After the defendants were placed in jail and upon learning that no such penal code prohibits preaching to a “captive audience,” the officer issued a citation for “impeding an open business” with threats or intimidation under Penal Code Section 602.1(b). However, the district attorney again changed the charges claiming trespass after the government realized the business was not actually open and, presumably, saw the video showing no threats or intimidation.
Unfortunately, the trial judge declined to dismiss the case. Advocates vows to appeal the decision because the trespass law the CHP is currently relying on is unconstitutional. In fact, other federal courts that have reviewed the same statutory language used in the California Penal Code have been declared unconstitutional.
“This is an abuse of power on the part of the CHP,” said Robert Tyler, Associate General Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “The arresting officer could find no appropriate penal/ code to use when arresting these men. The purpose of the arrests appears to have been to censor them.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of these three men for violation of their right to free speech and for unlawful arrest, but that case has been stayed pending the resolution of the state court prosecution.
Source
7 comments:
It probibly would have allowed the reading of the koran i,ll bet
Whether the Koran or the Bible or some other religious infection, it is pathetic that their "mental virus" compels them to spread it in such a crass way in front of a totally non-religious public location. "Freedom of speech" is being abused or ridiculed by their virtually insane methods. Religion in the US is used as an excuse to circumvent all other normal social controls and sensible behavior.
Personally, and as a Christian, i am offended when "anyone, of any religion," tries to sell/push their religious beliefs on me, especially in a public place.
On the other hand, this is, after all, the Peoples Republic of Mexifornia, a place where being a Christian is almost a crime. So much so, that the police have to "invent and create" violations of non-existent "laws" just to placate the rabid leftists who control this dying state.
I just wonder how the PC-addicted useful idiots out there are going to sell that notion to the tens-of-millions of illegal Mexicans who, while changing the map of the US to exclude CA., are "devoutly" Catholic.
They also would alow for reading DADDIES ROOMATE and HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES and other gay litrature
Captive audience? Could they not leave? If they use this philosophy, obama should be arrested, because we are all a captive audience to his nazi bullshit.
"Could they not leave?"
If I had to leave my position in a DMV line, I would beat the holy shit out of him.
I,ll bet they would have allowed it if it was a KORAN
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