Philly Court Orders Four Christians to Trial

Agape Press ^ | 12/15/04 | Dennis Green

[4lifeandliberty]

Philly Court Orders Four Christians to Trial December 15, 2004

Philly Court Orders Four Christians to Trial; Emergency Appeal Likely Attorney Contends Reading Scripture in Public Landed Them in Jail By Allie Martin December 15, 2004

(AgapePress) - An attorney with a pro-family ministry says a judge's decision on Tuesday, ordering four Christians in Philadelphia to stand trial for witnessing at a homosexual pride event, is comparable to the atmosphere of the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s.

In October, 11 Christians were arrested as they were praying and reading scripture during the annual "gay pride" event known as "Outfest" in Philadelphia. Those in the group were charged with three felonies (criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation, and riot) and five misdemeanors. On Tuesday, charges were dropped against seven of the individuals; but Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan ordered the other four to stand trial on the charges. They were also banned from doing any type of evangelism within 100 yards of any "gay and lesbian event."

Brian Fahling is the senior trial attorney for the American Family Association (AFA) Center for Law & Policy, which represented the group in the Philadelphia court. Fahling says the Christian activists are being persecuted simply for exercising their constitutional rights.

"They were exercising their First Amendment rights in a public forum, and we have videotape that demonstrates that," Fahling says. "And we had a prosecutor [Charles Ehrlich] engage in the most venomous attack on defendants that I have heretofore ever seen -- calling them names, calling them 'hateful.'" In addition, says Fahling, Ehrlich referred to the Bible as "hate speech."

-Click on link to view video- http://www.afa.net/clp/videos/philly11.wmv

The AFA attorney is highly critical of judicial operations in the City of Brotherly Love. "This is like being in the South in the 1950s up here in this court system. It is absolutely incredible," Fahling says. "Of course, we're going to seek relief [for our clients] -- but we don't expect to get justice in Philadelphia."

An emergency appeal may be the next step because the four, if convicted, could face up to 47 years in prison. Fahling explains that option.

"We sought emergency relief earlier from the federal courts," he says, "[and] I'm sure the federal courts thought that justice would be done here and didn't intervene. So we have one more route, and that would be to appeal to [Supreme Court] Justice [David] Souter, who presides over this particular territory with respect to these issues. So we may take an emergency appeal there."

Fahling reiterates his contention that justice for his clients will need to found elsewhere. "If we can get somebody to actually look at this videotape, we'll get justice done," he says. "But again, it's not coming out of Philadelphia."

The attorney says the charges were dropped against the remaining seven because they were not seen quoting scripture on the videotape. Fahling says in Philadelphia, it appears the public reading of scripture will land a person in jail.

[BobL]

Yea, right, praying in public gets you arrested. Thanks for the good laugh. But this is a serious web site, please do not post satirical columns.

[BobL]

Only kidding - this is the next logical step towards throwing church-goers into jail.

[GretchenM]

Do you have a link for the source of the article?

[Democrap]

America land of the free?

[Santana]

http://headlines.agapepress.org/printver.asp

[Jaysun]

I watched the 7 minute video and it appears that they were guilty of aggravating queers. This is outrageous.

[PistolPaknMama]

ethnic intimidation, and riot

What ethnic group did they intimidate? To my knowledge, perverts are not yet recognized as an ethnic group.

[trailboss800]

Ping

[BobL]

Wrong!! Perverts are a protected group if they belong to the correct religion.

[misty4jc]

"...Ehrlich referred to the Bible as "hate speech."

Now I've heard it all....

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - First Amendment - Survive

[jeffc]

They were also banned from doing any type of evangelism within 100 yards of any "gay and lesbian event."

Does this mean that homosexuals can now be barred 100 yards away from people who are evangilizing?

[Former Dodger]

Where is Frank Rizzo now that he's really needed?

If he's dead, he needs to come back and haunt the PD and City Hall people responsible for this.

"Bizarro World lives" and I do think the pink police armbands were a nice touch: they look like GAY Nazis.

[kpp_kpp]

looks like this is the correct link:

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/12/152004a.asp

[bjcintennessee]

ping

[vpintheak]

I watched the video and it is a chilling sign of the times. I don't know the background story, but it looked as though they were doing nothing, and they were being harassed by the sodomites the entire way. It has been foretold by Christ these thing would happen, and they have been for some time. Thankfully we are still just being jailed, not like other places around the world.

[taxesareforever]

It has been foretold by Christ these thing would happen, and they have been for some time. Thankfully we are still just being jailed, not like other places around the world.

And it will get worse. We need to stand firm in our faith.

[HARBER]

It sure looks like Philadelphia (or Filthydelphia, as Rush has called that city for years) is the home of GAY NAZI STORM TROOPERS that makes the city look like Adolf Hitler's Germany duing World War II.

WHERE IS ARLEN SPECTER ON THIS?

Don't hold your breath for an answer.

[MarMema]

Three felonies? The video is on the link.

Did I ever tell you what our priest said once? He said we live in a judicial monarchy.

[RBroadfoot]

Is this a spoof article and video?

If not, why doesn't it name the defendents and why hasn't it appeared in the mainstream press? If so, is this the America that our forefathers envisioned?

Is a nation that allows criminal prosecution for the proclamation of the Gospel worth defending?

[beanspiller]

It has been foretold by Christ these thing would happen, and they have been for some time. Thankfully we are still just being jailed, not like other places around the world.
And it will get worse. We need to stand firm in our faith.

I find it interesting that George Bush can send our military half-way around the world to install "freedom and democracy" yet, doesn't lift a finger to help Christians who are being locked up - IN AMERICA - for exercising their Constitutionally-protected right to free speech!

Here is the organization that wrote and pushed for these "Hate" crime laws: (...and yes, Bush supports them)

www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp

[Mike Darancette]

the four, if convicted, could face up to 47 years in prison.

The red states are making martyrs.

I assume that this was public property.

[so_real]

I watched the entire video. Thanks for the post. THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUS! We need phone numbers and email addresses. No reason those guys should be martyrs. They were polite and peaceful. Philadelphia should be ashamed!

[taxesareforever]

I find it interesting that George Bush can send our military half-way around the world to install "freedom and democracy" yet, doesn't lift a finger to help Christians who are being locked up - IN AMERICA - for exercising their Constitutionally-protected right to free speech!

I thought when Janet Reno got her walking papers we would see the Justice Department begin to act like a justice department instead of a political tool. Hasn't happened in four years and don't see any change for the next four.

[4lifeandliberty]

The names of the charged are in this article.

---

Judge Orders Christians
To Stand Trial
Bans Evangelism Within 100 Feet
Of Homosexual Events
Christians Face 47 Years In Prison Because
Philly Judge Calls Bible Verses 'Fighting Words'

PHILADELPHIA, PA. Dec., 16 /Covenant News Wire Service/ -- At a preliminary hearing held December 14, Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge William Austin Meehan dismissed charges against six Christians who were evangelizing at the 2004 “Outfest”, but upheld felony and misdemeanor charges against four others accused of “hate crimes” at the homosexual celebration. Judge Meehan also banned the four men from doing any type of evangelism within 100 feet of any “gay and lesbian event”.

The Christians were a part of an evangelistic effort organized by Repent America, which frequently preaches at homosexual gatherings in Philadelphia. The charges against Repent America Director Michael Marcavage include three felonies: Criminal Conspiracy, Ethnic Intimidation, which falls under “Hate Crimes”, and Riot; as well as five Misdemeanors: Reckless Endangerment, Possession of Instruments of Crime, Failure to Disperse, Disorderly Conduct, and Obstructing Highways. Mark Diener and James Cruse are charged with Criminal Conspiracy, Failure to Disperse, Disorderly Conduct, and Obstructing Highways. Dennis Green is charged with Criminal Conspiracy, Disorderly Conduct, and Obstructing Highways. The "Criminal Conspiracy" charge links all of the Defendants together, therefore Marcavage's "Ethnic Intimidation" charge will be linked to the other Defendants.

During the hearing, Judge Meehan watched a videotape of the arrests, and turned his head toward the Defendants each time he saw one of them in the video footage. Apparently, the charges were dropped against the six other Defendants because they were not seen quoting scripture on the videotape.

In his closing argument before Judge Meehan at the preliminary hearing, prosecutor Charles Ehrlich, Chief of the Municipal Court Unit, went into a fit of rage, and declared the Bible "hate speech", while he passionately argued to the court that the Defendants are "hateful" and "disgusting,” and therefore should all be found guilty.

American Family Association Center for Law and Policy (AFACLP) attorney Brian Fahling filed on behalf of the Repent America team in early December to block the prosecution, but U.S. District Judge Petrese B. Tucker last week refused; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third District, in response to an emergency appeal, subsequently refused to reverse her ruling.

Only two days prior to the “Outfest” event, Marcavage’s attorneys filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and its agents for civil rights violations, contending that the City and the police have a “policy, practice and custom” of denying Marcavage’s First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights by continually harassing, intimidating, threatening, and arresting him for his public ministry.

During "OutFest", the police allowed the “Pink Angels,” a self-proclaimed gay security force, to obstruct and harass the Christians when they surrounded them, linked arms to prevent access to public areas, and held 10-foot pink Styrofoam placards while shouting and blowing loud whistles. Fran Price, community liaison for Philly Pride Presents, the sponsor of “Outfest”, acknowledged that there was a potential for violence when she stated that the “Pink Angels were there to defuse a riot and to protect the protestors from getting beaten up” - presumably by the “Outfest” crowd.

Scott Shields, criminal defense attorney for the 'Philadelphia 11', stated after the ruling that “the message of this court is that if you preach from the Scriptures at a gay and lesbian event, you are committing a hate crime... This case is historic, and is the first reported case in America where the Bible is being used to form the evidentiary basis for a hate crime. Now, here in the cradle of liberty and the birthplace of our nation, it is a crime to be openly Christian."

A separate preliminary hearing for a teenage defendant was originally scheduled for December 10 in juvenile court, but has been postponed. The trial date for the four remaining adult defendants has not yet been set.

CONTACT:
REPENT AMERICA
Michael Marcavage
P.O. Box 30000
Philadelphia, PA. 19103
1-800-3-REPENT
Email: repent@repentamerica.com
Website: www.repentamerica.com


http://www.covenantnews.com/repent041216.htm

http://www.lifeandlibertyministries.com

[4lifeandliberty]

Yes, it was public property.

www.lifeandlibertyministries.com

[4lifeandliberty]

One correction should be made to the above article. Dennis Green was charged with Conspiracy, Obstructing highways and failure to disperse. The charge of disorderly conduct was dropped.

www.lifeandlibertyministries.com

[tutstar]

poing

[tutstar]

Dead serious!!

Fasten your seatbelt! This is a thread on the same issue.

Christianity now "hate crime": the bible is "hate speech" subject to seizure

[BobL]

I know - I was trying to make a point of just how far this is going. Getting arrested for praying in public, up until only a few years ago, was unheard of.

But what we're dealing with is the left's attempt to exterminate the Christian religion - now with Muslim allies.

[Nightshift]

Yea, right, praying in public gets you arrested. Thanks for the good laugh. But this is a serious web site, please do not post satirical columns.

Please do not post a post like this. Could be taken wrong by fellow readers as I did when I first read it. Good thing I went further down. I thought you were serious.

yes this is a serious web site and this is a serious subject.

[tutstar]

why hasn't it appeared in the mainstream press?

Seriously, freepers know the MSM is liberal to the max. I think that there are probably lots of homosexuals (still in the closet)in the media as well, so they will not betray their own agenda.

American Family Association is representing the "criminals" http://www.afa.net/clp/ReleaseDetail.asp?id=73

Website of the group who was arrested http://www.repentamerica.com/index.php

[BobL]

My apologies - I will append with the term "sarcasm". I didn't realize that I was that effective.

[Nightshift]

You were very affective with that statement.You had me for a minute.

LOL

[tutstar]

LOL

Well we can't sit quietly and let this kind of thing get worse.

[BobL]

Agreed - the bigger question is why the heck are these deviants having parades like these? We own a lot of state houses, let's simply outlaw this kind of garbage.

They can go back to Stonewall and the bath houses if it's so important to them, but I want them out of my kid's face.