Sharing religious views on public sidewalk is not a crime
ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE
May 23, 2008 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom
ADF: Sharing religious views on public sidewalk
is not a crime
Officials in Beaumont, Texas, agree to change ordinance
that resulted in arrest of pro-family advocates
BEAUMONT, Texas — An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney has secured a settlement with city of Beaumont officials that will result in changes to an ordinance that violates the First Amendment rights of citizens wishing to publicly express their views. Under the old ordinance, two men were arrested and charged for sharing their religious views on a public sidewalk.
“Christians shouldn’t be penalized for expressing their beliefs. Arresting Christians simply because they choose to exercise their First Amendment rights in a public place is unconstitutional,” said ADF-allied attorney Len Brown of the law firm Clymer and Musser, P.C., who litigated the case together with attorney David Dye of the same firm.
In November 2005, Wally Langford and Jeremy Burt stood on a public sidewalk in Beaumont. Langford expressed his views about homosexual behavior to people in the area. Both men also held signs expressing their message.
The police forced Langford and Burt to stop speaking and proceeded to arrest both men. A video recording of the interaction between the men and the police showed that their detainment was based strictly on the content of their message and the fact that it was “upsetting” people. Both were charged and tried for violations of city noise ordinances.
Because Beaumont officials have agreed to amend the city’s noise ordinance to include a decibel level and comport with other federal constitutional requirements, Brown filed a voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit, Langford v. City of Beaumont, with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. As part of the agreement, police officers will also receive training regarding First Amendment rights as it relates to their duty to enforce criminal law.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.