Tag Archives: ADF: Brian Raum

Sacramento Bee: roposition 8 backers are already dismissing the ruling as the work of a liberal appeals court. As Brian Raum, a lawyer for the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, said in a statement, “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage – tried in San Francisco – turned out this way.” But before they engage in the usual stereotyping of the 9th Circuit, Proposition 8 proponents might want to carefully examine the legal precedents the appeals court relied upon in handing down its decision.

Pueblo Chieftain: Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund that helped defend Proposition 8 in court, noted, “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way. But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court.”

Daniel B. Wood at Christian Science Monitor at Yahoo! News: The Alliance Defense Fund, which helped to defend Prop. 8 in court, has not divulged its plans, but senior counsel Brian Raum has said the group expects to make a decision “in due time.”

San Francisco Chronicle (Bloomberg): “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way,” Brian Raum, an attorney for proponents and senior counsel at the legal group Alliance Defense Fund, said in an e-mail. “But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court.”

NCRegister.com: till, whenever marriage has been put to a vote, Americans overwhelmingly reject the idea of changing its definition. Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel Brian Raum said that “63 million Americans in 31 state elections have voted on marriage, and 63% voted to preserve marriage as the timeless, universal, unique union between husband and wife.”

College Times – Arizona State University (McClatchy): Brian Raum, a lawyer for the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, a supporter of Proposition 8, said in a prepared statement, “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way. But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court.”

Cal. Coast News: The court allowed time for proponents of the ban to file an appeal before the decision takes the force of law. Spokesmen for one such group, the Alliance Defense Fund, said an appeal would be forthcoming to the 9th Circuit’s full complement.

OneNewsNow.com: Thomasson expects the case to land in the nation’s highest court, with Justice Anthony Kennedy casting the deciding vote. In fact, Alliance Defense Fund says it will do exactly that (see accompanying video of ADF general counsel Alan Sears). [Brian Raum also quoted]

Rocky Mountain Collegian (MCT Howard Mintz): “No court should presume to redefine marriage,” said Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way. But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld in the Supreme Court.”

Desert Sun (includes video): In a statement, ADF Senior Counsel Brian Raum called Tuesday’s ruling a “Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage.”
“No court should presume to redefine marriage. No court should undercut the democratic process by taking the power to preserve marriage out of the hands of the people,” Raum said.

Religion News Services on Christian Century: “No court should presume to redefine marriage. No court should undercut the democratic process by taking the power to preserve marriage out of the hands of the people,” said Brian Raum, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing an umbrella group of Prop 8 supporters known as ProtectMarriage.com.

CNA: “No court should presume to redefine marriage,” Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel Brian Raum said Feb. 7. “No court should undercut the democratic process by taking the power to preserve marriage out of the hands of the people.”

Businessweek (Bloomberg): We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way,” Brian Raum, an attorney for proponents and senior counsel at the legal group Alliance Defense Fund, said in an e-mail. “But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court.”

San Jose Mercury News: “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way,” Brian Raum, a spokesman for the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian non-profit, said it a widely e-mailed statement. “But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court. Every pro-marriage American should be pleased that this case can finally go to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Elizabeth Weise and Joan Biskupic at USATODAY.com (includes video): “No court should presume to redefine marriage. No court should undercut the democratic process by taking the power to preserve marriage out of the hands of the people,” said Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal aid group that helped defend Proposition 8.

Lisa Leff at Connecticut Post (AP) (includes video): “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way. But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court,” said Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal aid group based in Arizona that helped defend Proposition 8.

Independent: “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage – tried in San Francisco – turned out this way,” said Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal aid group that helped defend the ban.

The Washington Post: “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way. But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court.” Brian Raum, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal aid group that helped defend the ban.

Episcopal News Service: According to a statement posted on the website of the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian legal foundation that backed Proposition 8, the group was not surprised that “this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way.” But the group said it was confident the Supreme Court would uphold “the expressed will of the American people.”

WTAE.com: The Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian legal foundation that backed Proposition 8, said it was not surprised that “this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way.” But it said it was …

Huffington Post: “We are not surprised that this Hollywood-orchestrated attack on marriage — tried in San Francisco — turned out this way,” said Brian Raum of the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal aid group that helped defend Proposition 8 in court. “But we are confident that the expressed will of the American people in favor of marriage will be upheld at the Supreme Court.”

ADF Attorney Brian Raum at National Review Online Bench Memos: No court can change the nature of men and women, or change the truth that the complementary union between husband and wife is different from any other human relationship. And no court should presume to redefine marriage — yet two of three judges in the oft-overturned Ninth Circuit have attempted to do so with Tuesday’s decision in the lawsuit over California’s marriage amendment, Perry v. Brown.

No court should undercut the democratic process by taking the power to preserve marriage out of the hands of the people.

Washington Blade – “America’s Leading Gay News Source”: Following McCoy was Maryland Baptist ministers Rev. Dr. John Lund, and Rev. Dr. Nate Thomas, as well as Presbyterian pastor Bob Borger, former mega-church pastor Joel Peebles — who recently lost a court battle over control over his Jericho City of Praise Ministry — as well as some Catholic voices such as Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Father Eric Arnold, and Maryland Catholic Conference’s Mary Ellen Russell. The testimony was concluded by an attorney specializing in representing churches and ministers, Erika Cole, the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty’s Eric Baxter, and the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund’s Brian Raum.

The Washington Post: Brian W. Raum, senior counsel at the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, argued that protections should be extended to businesses, such as wedding planners, who do not believe in gay nuptials.

www.HometownAnnapolis.com – The Capital: The hearing attracted a few witnesses from out of state. Brian W. Raum, is senior counsel for the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund. He said the bill fails to protect “religious-minded” individuals and businesses, such as wedding planners and venue halls. “Certain kinds of businesses are going to be negatively affected,” he said. “They may be people of deep faith who don’t want to participate.” After the hearing, Raum seemed perturbed when asked to explain why businesses should be free to discriminate against same-sex couples, while discrimination on racial or religious grounds is illegal. “If you don’t see the difference between race-based discrimination and a protection for marriage between a man and a woman, then I can’t help you on that,” he said.

JURIST: JURIST Guest Columnist Brian Raum, Senior Counsel and Head of Marriage Litigation at the Alliance Defense Fund, argues that the recent California Supreme Court decision on Proposition 8 is just one of many losses for opponents of the amendment that will not bode well for their cause moving forward…

The New American: Attorney Brian Raum of the Alliance Defense Fund, which is helping to represent ProtectMarriage.com in the case, said that California’s Supreme Court “was clearly right to conclude that the California marriage amendment should not go undefended just because state officials have refused to defend it. Because the people of California have a right to be defended, Proposition 8’s official proponents will be allowed to continue defending the marriage amendment. Otherwise, state officials would have succeeded in indirectly invalidating a measure that they had no power to strike down directly.”

California Catholic Daily: “The court was clearly right to conclude that the California marriage amendment should not go undefended just because state officials have refused to defend it,” said Brian Raumm, a senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, in a statement issued immediately after yesterday’s ruling. “Because the people of California have a right to be defended, Proposition 8’s official proponents will be allowed to continue defending the marriage amendment. Otherwise, state officials would have succeeded in indirectly invalidating a measure that they had no power to strike down directly.”

USATODAY.com: Advocates in the ProtectMarriage.com legal team praised Thursday’s action. “The court was clearly right to conclude that the California marriage amendment should not go undefended just because state officials have refused to defend it,” said Alliance Defense Fund lawyer Brian Raum.

The Washington Post: Prop 8 supporters have been working on the case with the Alliance Defense Fund, a leading Christian law firm. Mormon and Roman Catholic churches also lent strong support to the proposition though the various court challenges.

Businessweek: Because the people of California have a right to be defended, Proposition 8’s official proponents will be allowed to continue defending the marriage amendment,” said Brian Raum, a lawyer for Alliance Defense Fund, a group representing supporters of the gay-marriage ban. “Otherwise, state officials would have succeeded in indirectly invalidating a measure that they had no power to strike down directly,”

OneNewsNow.com: Alliance Defense Fund attorney Brian Raum concurs. “The court was clearly right to conclude that the California marriage amendment should not go undefended just because state officials have failed to defend it,” he tells OneNewsNow. “And so because the people of California have a right to be defended, the Proposition 8 official proponents will be allowed to continue defending the marriage amendment.”

ADF Attorney Brian Raum comments at SCOTUSblog.

ADF Attorney Brian Raum at Townhall : As a matter of fact, EQCA’s loss in Proposition 8 was bad enough that their board decided the group ought “not…get involved with marriage in California going forward.” (This, of course, is a victory in itself.) Broadly speaking, all these things should serve as an encouragement for the proponents of true marriage, whom the media and groups supporting the homosexual agenda so often seem to drown out.

Thomson Reuters: For the gay marriage opponents: Charles Cooper, David Thompson, Howard Nielson, Nicole Moss and Peter Patterson of Cooper and Kirk; Andrew Pugno of the Law Offices of Andrew Pugno; Brian Raum and James Campbell of the Alliance Defense Fund.

First Things: In the wake of the New York Legislature’s decision to pass the so-called “Marriage Equality Act,” there has been a renewed discussion among homosexual activists over whether they really ought to be pursuing an institution historically rife with “heterosexual” values such as exclusivity, fidelity, commitment, and monogamy.

ADF Attorney Brian Raum at Townhall: What this means is that people at certain media outlets, like U.S. News and The New York Times, are putting lots of energy into creating an aura of overwhelming numbers in order to further the progress of the homosexual agenda throughout the land.

Thomson Reuters : The Supreme Court of California appeared sympathetic to allowing gay marriage opponents to defend the state’s same-sex wedding ban in court, a crucial step in a case that could set national precedent . . . For the opponents of gay marriage: James Campbell of Alliance Defense Fund; Charles Cooper, Nicole Moss, Jesse Panuccio, David Thompson and Peter Patterson of Cooper & Kirk; Andrew Pugno; Brian Raum.

ADF Attorney Brian Raum at Townhall : Recently, Michael Barone had a column on NationalReview.com which served as a reminder that even the most politically and culturally astute among us have to avail ourselves of news outlets beyond the typical networks and/or print publications. Although this wasn’t the goal of the column, it’s the most valuable lesson we can draw from what was ostensibly aimed at convincing us that support for same-sex “marriage” is at an all-time high in this country.

SCOTUSblog: Written by the University of California, Irvine’s Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, this is the final post in our online symposium on same-sex marriage. The whole symposium is available here . . . Brian Raum argued that it is based on the benefits of children having parents of different genders. He wrote: “Not only that, but mothers and fathers bring different gifts to the parenting table, and this complementarity is not fungible. Even the plaintiffs’ expert in Perry v. Brown agrees on this point. Dr. Michael Lamb, the ‘parenting expert’ who testified in that case, readily acknowledged in his book Fathers: Forgotten Contributors to Child Development that ‘[b]oth mothers and fathers play crucial and qualitatively different roles in the socialization of the child.’” But this totally misses the point, even if there were studies, and there are not, that children of heterosexual couples are somehow better off than those of same-sex couples. The issue (thankfully) is not whether to prohibit gay and lesbian couples, or even single parents, from having children. They will. The question is, once they do have children, will those children be better off with married or unmarried parents. A prohibition of same-sex marriage does absolutely nothing to increase the likelihood that children will have two parents who are of opposite sexes.

SCOTUSblog: Robert Levy, Chairman of the Cato Institute, responds to Brian Raum as part of our same-sex marriage symposium . . . Contrasting Lawrence v. Texas with Perry, Brian Raum contends in his post (“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”) that “the central holding in Lawrence is perfectly reasonable because the law need not promote everything it protects.” Brian continues, “The Constitution contains an equal protection clause, not an equal promotion clause.” . . . Yet Brian suggests that Kris Perry’s goal, expedited by Judge Walker, was to promote same-sex marriage rather than protect a right to marriage equality. That suggestion is totally unsubstantiated. No part of Judge Walker’s holding actively encourages, much less expresses a preference for, same-sex marriage.

SCOTUSblog: Brian Raum, head of marriage litigation for the Alliance Defense Fund, replies to Robert Levy as part of our same-sex marriage symposium . . . Some rights are so foundational to our system of government that we deem them “fundamental.” In his response to my earlier post in the SCOTUSblog marriage symposium, Robert Levy states that, under our current constitutional construct, a right is deemed fundamental if it is either “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty” or “deeply rooted in the Nation’s history and traditions.” But what he has missed is that it is not “either…or.”

Written by the Ledger’s editorial board, the column’s position is that Christie “should heed voters on gay marriage.”

ADF Attorney Brian Raum at SCOTUSblog: Brian Raum, Senior Counsel and head of marriage litigation at the Alliance Defense Fund, argues that the litigation strategy of those supporting same-sex marriage should pay heed to the narrow scope of the Court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas.

SCOTUSblog: In our third symposium of the summer, guest bloggers will examine the future of the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8 at the Court. [ADF attorney Brian Raum is a guest blogger along with several allied attorneys]

World Net Daily: ADF Senior Counsel Brian Raum said no one “should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their job.” “The law – and New York’s highest court – affirms this fundamental principle of freedom,” he said . “It’s outrageous that officials are threatening criminal prosecution for clerks who exercise their lawful right to delegate the issuing of same-sex ‘marriage’ licenses, especially when the law requires the accommodation of their religious beliefs. We encourage all clerks to affirm their rights under New York State law.”

Brian Raum at Human Events: Marriage supporters have warned for years that fabricating same-sex “marriage” will only serve to usher in more and more assaults on the foundational building block of society. And now, in a perfect yet appalling example of what’s been foretold, polygamist Kody Brown is chasing the success of the homosexual agenda in New York State by filing a lawsuit to strike down the laws against polygamy in an effort to save himself and his four “wives” from prosecution.

Charisma: Should New York’s clerks be forced to issue same-sex marriage licenses? That’s the subject of a legal memo the Alliance Defense Fund circulated Friday.

Chuck Colson at The Christian Post: . . . Alliance Defense Fund’s Senior Counsel Brian Raum noted, “Americans recognize that marriage provides a strong foundation for a thriving society,” and that we “strongly affirm the lifelong, faithful union of a man and a woman as the fundamental building block of civilization.” . . . hree cheers for the Alliance Defense Fund! Listen, folks, we need to speak out and stand strong. Same-sex marriage is inevitable only if we give up. To which I say, as Winston Churchill famously said, “Never, never, never.”

USATODAY.com (6/24): “The opposition has created an illusion of momentum but not a real base of support or track record of victory in the courts,” said Brian Raum, senior counsel with the conservative Alliance Defense Fund.

ADF, allies to appeal ruling that allows ‘domestic partnership’ scheme to skirt voter-approved marriage amendment

ADF attorney Brian Raum at the Speak Up Movement Blog: Something is rotten in the states of America… And it isn’t the state of marriage. Despite a relentless pop-culture, a Big Media and education establishment-led propaganda campaign, and flawed polls screaming that marriage as we know it is doomed in the U.S., support for this foundation of our society is actually alive and well.

Christian Post: ttorney Brian Raum noted that the survey also affirms what he and other counselors at the Alliance Defense Fund have seen in court. “This survey, along with the nearly 80 percent win rate in ADF marriage cases, shows the opposition has created an illusion of momentum, but not a real base of support or track record of victory in the courts.”

Dakota Voice: Results from what is likely the most extensive national research survey of its kind show that 62 percent of Americans believe that “marriage should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman.” Fifty-three percent of Americans strongly agreed . . . “Americans recognize that marriage provides a strong foundation for a thriving society,” said ADF Senior Counsel Brian Raum. “The union between husband and wife benefits society–especially children–in unique ways that cannot be duplicated by any other relationship. Throughout history, diverse cultures and faiths have recognized this universally defined ideal as the best way to promote healthy, natural families for the good of future generations.”

Charisma: “Americans recognize that marriage provides a strong foundation for a thriving society,” says ADF Senior Counsel Brian Raum. “The union between husband and wife benefits society—especially children—in unique ways that cannot be duplicated by any other relationship. Throughout history, diverse cultures and faiths have recognized this universally defined ideal as the best way to promote healthy, natural families for the good of future generations.”

Comprehensive survey shows support for marriage remains high despite recent, flawed polls that create illusion of momentum against it

Chelseanow.com: Also speaking were Chuck Stetson, a founder and managing director at PEI Funds, an investment firm, and a longtime opponent of gay marriage, and Brian Raum, senior counsel at the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative law firm. City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, a Democrat who represents part of the Bronx, attended part of the press conference, but did not speak.

Thomson Reuters: For the gay marriage opponents: Charles Cooper, David Thompson, Howard Nielson, Nicole Moss and Peter Patterson of Cooper and Kirk; Andrew Pugno of the Law Offices of Andrew Pugno; Brian Raum and James Campbell of the Alliance Defense Fund.

Thomson Reuters: For the gay marriage opponents: Charles Cooper, David Thompson, Howard Nielson, Nicole Moss and Peter Patterson of Cooper and Kirk; Andrew Pugno of the Law Offices of Andrew Pugno; Brian Raum and James Campbell of the Alliance Defense Fund.

ADF attorney Bran Raum at First Things: While bullying is harmful and always has been, it is an even greater harm that anti-bullying policies have been hijacked by a political agenda for the purpose of promoting homosexual behavior and insulating it from public debate and discussion.

Reuters Legal: For the proponents of the ban: Charles Cooper, David Thompson, Howard Nielson, Nicole Moss and Peter Patterson of Cooper and Kirk; Andrew Pugno of the Law Offices of Andrew P. Pugno; Brian Raum and James Campbell of the Alliance Defense Fund.

Baptist Press: Attorneys for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group, also expressed optimism. “The American people deserve to have their laws defended,” Brian Raum, an ADF attorney, said in a statement. “The House is demonstrating that it will not let a law that it overwhelmingly passed, that President Clinton signed, and that the American people support go undefended. ADF believes the House made an excellent decision by choosing former Solicitor General Paul Clement as lead counsel to defend DOMA, and we will support his efforts in whatever way we can.”

Christian Post: “Conservatives approve of Boehner’s repayment proposal as well as his decision to hire the Bush administration lawyer. Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Brian Raum commended the decision to choose Clement as lead counsel to defend DOMA. Hausknecht, also a licensed attorney, also praised Clement for his prestigious legal pedigree and experience arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court . . . ”

The ProtectMarriage.com legal team filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit Wednesday in Perry v. Brown requesting an order “that former district judge Vaughn Walker cease further disclosures of the video recordings of the trial proceedings in this case” and that all copies be returned to the court.

Michael Foust writes at Baptist Press: Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel Brian Raum said the American people “deserve to have their laws defended” and that the “House has stepped up to the plate where the Department of Justice has shirked its responsibility.” The organization supports the law.

Mercator.Net: The president may have decided against it, but the defense of traditional marriage is being taken up by assorted other people who wield power. Here are two . . . “The American people deserve to have their laws defended. The House has stepped up to the plate where the Department of Justice has shirked its responsibility,” said Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Brian Raum. “The House of Representatives has the legal authority to intervene in these lawsuits to defend the federal DOMA statute. Even though Congress passed it with overwhelming bipartisan support, the DOJ won’t defend it. That means that a rigorous defense by Congress is the best possible option.”

Marcia Coyle at the Blog of the Legal Times: “A spokeswoman for Smith said his lawyers would need to review the cases pending in the 2nd Circuit before making any decision to try to intervene. Representing Smith in the 1st Circuit were three lawyers from the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, including senior counsel Brian Raum, and a solo practitioner from Salem, Mass., Philip Moran. A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), to whom Holder addressed a letter explaining the administration’s decision, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”

Westlaw News & Insight: “For the opponents of gay marriage: James Campbell of Alliance Defense Fund; Charles Cooper, Nicole Moss, Jesse Panuccio, David Thompson and Peter Patterson of Cooper & Kirk; Andrew Pugno; Brian Raum.”

“Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Justice has chosen not to defend DOMA based on the well-established rationales that Congress cited when it passed the law.”

The Catholic Review (CNS): “[Brian Raum], senior counsel for Alliance Defense Fund, a group supporting Proposition 8, said in a statement: ‘What’s at stake in this case is bigger than California and bigger than even marriage. Americans are concerned about how marriage, voter rights, religious liberty and other issues will be affected nationwide if this lawsuit is allowed to prevail.’”

Wall Street Journal: “Alliance Defense Fund lawyer and co-counsel for Protectmarriage.com, Brian Raum, said in response to Reinhardt’s decision: ProtectMarriage.com accepts the judge’s decision, but stands behind the arguments in its motion. With binding Supreme Court precedent and the will of a strong majority of Americans on our side, we are confident that Proposition 8 and the institution of marriage will ultimately prevail.”

ADF President and CEO Alan Sears writing at Inside the Issues: “The case of Dr. Michael Campion almost sounds more like a men’s clothing store than a legal showdown. Dr. Campion’s Christian faith didn’t suit the city of Minneapolis, so it fired him. The firing didn’t suit Dr. Campion, so he filed suit against the city. After a preliminary ruling by the court that was very favorable to Dr. Campion, the city realized that it would likely lose, and agreed to pay the good doctor a considerable sum in damages – which suits him just fine.”

New York Times: “A lawyer for Mr. Marcavage and Mr. Lefemine, [Brian W. Raum], senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, in Scottsdale, Ariz., said his clients were considering their options. ‘Charging Christians with a crime simply because they choose to share their faith in public is unconstitutional,’ he said. ‘These men did nothing other than exercise their constitutional right to free speech.’” Marcavage and Lefemine v. City of New York, No 05 Civ. 4949 (RJS) (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 29, 2010)

New York Post: “A judge has upheld the arrests of two anti-abortion activists for protesting near Madison Square Garden during the 2004 Republican National Convention . . . ‘Charging Christians with a crime simply because they choose to share their faith in public is unconstitutional,’ said [Brian Raum] of the conservative Alliance Defense Fund. ‘These men did nothing other than exercise their constitutional right to free speech.’” Marcavage and Lefemine v. City of New York, No 05 Civ. 4949 (RJS) (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 29, 2010)