Posted on 08/24/2007 7:20:46 PM PDT by alvindsv
A federal civil rights lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a 67-year-old Georgia man who was arrested, held in jail for two days and convicted without being given access to a lawyer for passing out Gospel tracts on a public street.
The action was brought by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Fredric Baumann, who was arrested on the orders of police chief Mike Eason.
The ADF said a Georgia Superior Court earlier this month agreed to its request to overturn the conviction of Baumann, "a Christian man whom Cumming police arrested in April for passing out religious literature on a public sidewalk."
"Christians have the same First Amendment rights as anyone else in America and cannot be treated as second-class citizens," ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman said. "The government should not force them to get special permission before practicing their constitutional right to free speech.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
This in the same country where a major company(Swift)is going to give muzzies “prayer breaks” at work.
The accused is a Christian?
Why is he out of jail, and why would he be allowed to walk the streets of America?
This sedition was banned decades ago. I thought few like him still survived. Put him in a wax museum after allah and his tribes correct his infidel ways.
Why do idiots seem to be in charge here, in a small town in a very reliably Republican state, who need to be instructed on the meaning of the First Amendment? Who elected these lamebrains?
Even more curious, who convicted him?
I carry Christian tracts in my pocket and hand them out in abundance. I will continue to do so until I die. So, sue me. If sued, I will pass these same tracts to the jury that is impaneled to hear my case.
ping
The Devil’s knows he has little time and is furious at Christians.
“At approximately 1:15 p.m., Mr. Baumann observed Chief of Police Mike Eason speaking to Mr. Baumann’s acquaintance who was distributing religious literature on the public sidewalk near Gate C. Mr. Baumann approached the pair and learned of Chief Eason’s demand that the two men immediately leave the vicinity for ‘demonstrating without a permit,’ Mr. Baumann politely inquired of Chief Eason as to whether the two men possessed a constitutional right to peaceably distribute religious literature on the public side,” the filing said.
“Chief Eason, visibly irritated at Mr. Baumann’s inquiry, abruptly stated: ‘Well, I guess he wants to get arrested.’ Immediately Chief Eason ordered Mr. Baumann to be placed under arrest for ‘demonstrating without a permit’ so as to constitute an ‘illegal demonstration.’”
The case said Baumann never was informed of his right to obtain counsel, nor did he have an opportunity to post bail.
“While incarcerated, Mr. Baumann requested use of his his reading glasses so that he could read his Bible ...; this request was denied,” the filing said. He also was denied an opportunity for exercise “to offset a medical condition that causes chest congestion when he remains sedentary.”
Then without advance notice, he was taken to court where he asked the charges to be dismissed. Instead, the court listened to Eason’s testimony and convicted Baumann.
The police chief and the judge should go to jail for at least a year, and the judge should be disbarred.
Bump for later read.
The police uh, “chief” in that town knows nothing about
our 1st amendment.
The purpose of our 1st is to ensure that the government
(police cheif etc) cannot abridge our right
of free speech and religion.
There is no “separation clause” (of church and state).
Public property is precisely where our rights are
to be protected since private property is controlled by the owner.
This is a perfect situation to bring a group of
people together to give out tracts. Then when they are arrested they can file a class-action for
civil rights violation.
I am not sure they should go to jail but both the police chief and the judge should be removed from office and should lose all immunity from being sued.
The chief and the crew that convicted this man should be sued for hate crimes.
Mike Eason is a name I will remember.
I'd like to gather together with a few hundred FReepers there and show them why the 2nd Amendment was put 2nd to insure the 1st!
Indeed!
Good place to bump this disturbing thread. Americans are getting arrested for preaching Christ and exercising their 1st amendment rights. That’s something I thought I would never see.
Welcome to Satan’s world. I spent much of my youth street preaching … now, in most states, this is illegal.
Jesus is out apparently … I still street preach … Jesus is not out in my world.
Plus, that private citizen-man was not a representative of the government and he wasn’t breaking any laws.
1st amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
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