At least one local government in Maryland will no longer shackle and strip-search demonstrators, now that Harford County has agreed to a settlement in a First Amendment lawsuit brought by Defend Life.
For background, read Maryland Pro-life Protesters Arrested for Loitering
-- From "County Settles Lawsuit With Anti-Abortion Group" posted at WBAL TV-11 Baltimore 3/7/11
Members of Defend Life were arrested by the Maryland State Police on Aug. 1, 2008, along Route 24 in Bel Air. The group was on its Face the Truth Tour in which it used graphic roadside posters depicting aborted babies.
The group admitted its methods may be shocking but said they have the right to protest and filed suit in federal court for a violation of their First Amendment rights.
When the lawsuit was originally filed, one of the women in the group said she was imprisoned, shackled and strip-searched twice.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article above; to view the video news report CLICK HERE.
From "Anti-abortion protesters celebrate their First Amendment 'victory' in Harford County" by Erika Butler, The Aegis (Baltimore Sun) 3/7/11
While court action is still pending against state and town police, Harford County has agreed to adopt a new county policy on how it conducts searches at its jail and to confidential settlements with eight of 18 people arrested in a 2008 anti-abortion protest.
Federal civil suits were filed last year against Harford County, the state police and Bel Air Police, complaining that the arrests were unnecessary and the group had a right to demonstrate based on the First Amendment.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Pro-Life Girls Shackled, Strip Searched Now Settle Lawsuit" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 3/7/11
In January, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected an appeal taken by defendant police officers in a suit brought by Defend Life . . . The court granted a motion to dismiss the appeal filed by Thomas More Society’s special counsel.
The American Catholic Lawyer’s Association along with special counsel from the Thomas More Society are aggressively continuing forward with its lawsuit against the Maryland State Police and the town of Bel Air.
Motions to dismiss the entire lawsuit filed by the Town of Bel Air, Bel Air police officers, the Maryland State Police Superintendent and state police troopers were denied in May of 2010. Some of those defendants filed an immediate appeal, arguing that police acted in good faith and were therefore immune from suit.
The county initially announced the settlement in December but not all of the plaintiffs in the case signed the settlement. Today’s announcements indicates that has happened.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "County drops strip-searches for pro-life protesters" by Bob Unruh © 2011 WorldNetDaily 3/15/11
According to the claim filed on behalf of about 18 pro-life protesters, authorities violated the U.S. Constitution when they first ordered the protesters off of county property, then later when protesters complied and moved to city property, swooped down on them in seven police cars, shackled, strip-searched and jailed them.
The agreement provides for the county and several individuals to be dismissed as defendants based on the promised change in policy. Claims against other defendants remain.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Showing posts with label demonstration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label demonstration. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Atheists Force Christian Flag Out, Citizens Respond
Residents of King, North Carolina fight to restore Christian flag to Veteran’s Memorial in Central Park - City council reconsidering its surrender to ACLU et. al.
"Only one King resident has publicly supported the council’s decision [to remove] the flag."
UPDATE 1/20/15: Atheists Defeat King Veterans Memorial — City Gives Up on Lawsuit
UPDATE 11/2/10: City reverses itself; will devise flag-flying plan and hope to avoid ACLU lawsuit
UPDATE 10/24/10 (video) Thousands protest:
-- From "King council may revisit flag decision" by John Hinton, Winston-Salem Journal Reporter 10/21/10
The dispute began Sept. 15 when the council voted 3-1 to take down the flag from the memorial on the advice of City Attorney Walter W. Pitt Jr., who said it violated the First Amendment.
The flag, which has a Latin cross inside a blue rectangle on a white field, flew next to the U.S. flag, the North Carolina state flag, the city’s flag and six others.
In mid-August, the council and Pitt received letters from the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Both groups urged the council to remove the flag.
Officials with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State have said that they would consider filing a lawsuit against the city of King if the city council approves letting the flag fly again on city property.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Hundreds Expected For Rally In King" by Leslie Bray Evans, The Stokes News, posted at WXII TV-12 10/21/10
King residents are battening down the hatches for the storm of visitors expected to descend upon the city on Saturday. Oct. 23 is the long-awaited day for those who plan to attend “Return America -- Christian Flag March and Rally,” an event to show support for the Christian flag being flown again at the Veterans Memorial at Central Park in King.
Organizers state: “This will be an event that will be remembered far into the future for not only the town of King, but for all people that are concerned for the direction of the country, the threats against our freedoms to display religious images, and the continuing removal of God from our country's historical beginnings.”
Mike Marshall of King has been a visible factor in the fight to put the Christian flag back up at the Memorial. He estimates about 1,500 people will attend the March but says he won’t be surprised if it’s 500 or 15,000.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 10/27/10 video:
"Only one King resident has publicly supported the council’s decision [to remove] the flag."
UPDATE 1/20/15: Atheists Defeat King Veterans Memorial — City Gives Up on Lawsuit
UPDATE 11/2/10: City reverses itself; will devise flag-flying plan and hope to avoid ACLU lawsuit
UPDATE 10/24/10 (video) Thousands protest:
-- From "King council may revisit flag decision" by John Hinton, Winston-Salem Journal Reporter 10/21/10
The dispute began Sept. 15 when the council voted 3-1 to take down the flag from the memorial on the advice of City Attorney Walter W. Pitt Jr., who said it violated the First Amendment.
The flag, which has a Latin cross inside a blue rectangle on a white field, flew next to the U.S. flag, the North Carolina state flag, the city’s flag and six others.
In mid-August, the council and Pitt received letters from the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Both groups urged the council to remove the flag.
Officials with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State have said that they would consider filing a lawsuit against the city of King if the city council approves letting the flag fly again on city property.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Hundreds Expected For Rally In King" by Leslie Bray Evans, The Stokes News, posted at WXII TV-12 10/21/10
King residents are battening down the hatches for the storm of visitors expected to descend upon the city on Saturday. Oct. 23 is the long-awaited day for those who plan to attend “Return America -- Christian Flag March and Rally,” an event to show support for the Christian flag being flown again at the Veterans Memorial at Central Park in King.
Organizers state: “This will be an event that will be remembered far into the future for not only the town of King, but for all people that are concerned for the direction of the country, the threats against our freedoms to display religious images, and the continuing removal of God from our country's historical beginnings.”
Mike Marshall of King has been a visible factor in the fight to put the Christian flag back up at the Memorial. He estimates about 1,500 people will attend the March but says he won’t be surprised if it’s 500 or 15,000.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 10/27/10 video:
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Christians Arrested for Praying at Gay Festival
Cops call holding Bibles while lying prostrate 'disturbing peace.'
From "Now praying gets 7 Christians arrested" by Bob Unruh, posted 7/7/07 at WorldNetDaily.com
Christians have been arrested recently at "gay" festivals for nothing more than having a protest sign that is "wider than their torso," but now police have gone even further, targeting Bible-carrying ministers for praying on public property and for standing on a public sidewalk near a "gay" festival.
One of the new cases comes from Elmira, N.Y., where police arrested seven Christians who went into a public park where a "gay" fest was beginning and started to pray, faces down, while holding their Bibles.
They were cited for "disturbing the peace," and Assistant Police Chief Mike Robertson told WND that the seven are accused of a "combination" of allegations under that statute, which includes the "intent" to cause a public inconvenience, any "disturbance" of a meeting of persons, obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or taking part in "any act that serves no legitimate purpose."
The second such case arose in Wichita, Kan., where police arrested Spirit One Christian Center Pastor Mark Holick, who had received permission earlier from officers to be on the public sidewalk adjacent to the park where the festival was occurring but then was arrested doing exactly that.
Julian Raven, a street preacher, told WND his group of seven assembled to pray for three hours the night before Elmira's recent "pride" festival in promotion of the homosexual lifestyle.
"We have a legal right to be at an event held in a public square. We're not a hate group," he said. "We're Christians and we're going to be there to pray."
He said he contacted police, who told him he had no free speech rights in the public park.
Ultimately gay rights ideology is so fragile, it cannot tolerate freedom of speech...
Read the rest of this article.
From "Now praying gets 7 Christians arrested" by Bob Unruh, posted 7/7/07 at WorldNetDaily.com
Christians have been arrested recently at "gay" festivals for nothing more than having a protest sign that is "wider than their torso," but now police have gone even further, targeting Bible-carrying ministers for praying on public property and for standing on a public sidewalk near a "gay" festival.
One of the new cases comes from Elmira, N.Y., where police arrested seven Christians who went into a public park where a "gay" fest was beginning and started to pray, faces down, while holding their Bibles.
They were cited for "disturbing the peace," and Assistant Police Chief Mike Robertson told WND that the seven are accused of a "combination" of allegations under that statute, which includes the "intent" to cause a public inconvenience, any "disturbance" of a meeting of persons, obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic, or taking part in "any act that serves no legitimate purpose."
The second such case arose in Wichita, Kan., where police arrested Spirit One Christian Center Pastor Mark Holick, who had received permission earlier from officers to be on the public sidewalk adjacent to the park where the festival was occurring but then was arrested doing exactly that.
Julian Raven, a street preacher, told WND his group of seven assembled to pray for three hours the night before Elmira's recent "pride" festival in promotion of the homosexual lifestyle.
"We have a legal right to be at an event held in a public square. We're not a hate group," he said. "We're Christians and we're going to be there to pray."
He said he contacted police, who told him he had no free speech rights in the public park.
Ultimately gay rights ideology is so fragile, it cannot tolerate freedom of speech...
Read the rest of this article.
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