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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
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.”
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.
Attorney Contends Reading Scripture in Public Landed Them in Jail
By Allie Martin
December 15, 2004
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.”
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.
I am going to make the front of my house an outdoor shrine!With posters and scriptures written on it.We need to get together as Christians and fight this before we have to get a special ID card to warn people that we are dangerous
This is rediculous,please send a link so we can help in some way.God Bless