Posted on 12/14/2004 9:29:21 AM PST by Map Kernow
A federal appeals court denied an emergency appeal to stop prosecution of 11 Philadelphia-area Christians who allege the District Attorney's office retaliated against them for exercising their constitutional rights at a homosexual event in which they were arrested and later charged with felonies.
As WorldNetDaily reported, on Oct. 10, the group was "preaching God's Word" to a crowd of people attending the outdoor Philadelphia "OutFest" event and displaying banners with biblical messages.
After a confrontation with a group called the Pink Angels, described by protesters as "a militant mob of homosexuals," the eleven Christians were arrested and spent a night in jail.
Eight charges were filed, including three felonies and five misdemeanors. The charges were criminal conspiracy, possession of instruments of crime, reckless endangerment of another person, ethnic intimidation, riot, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct and obstructing highways.
Early last week, the American Family Association's Center for Law & Policy filed papers in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent the city of Philadelphia from prosecuting the case.
Judge Petrese Tucker denied the Philadelphia 11's request, and the CLP immediately appealed the decision to the Third Circuit, which upheld it.
"This turn of events is beyond belief," said Brian Fahling, senior trial attorney for the CLP.
At the hearing, the CLP presented what it called "undisputed" video evidence that captured the "Outfest" events on tape, showing the Philadelphia 11 cooperated with police and were continually harassed by the Pink Angels.
None of the Pink Angels was cited or arrested.
"Despite the undisputed evidence placed before the court, our action for emergency relief was denied not once, but twice," Fahling added. "Many had thought an outcome like this ended at Selma.
"It seems that the Philadelphia 11 have become second-class citizens in the City of Brotherly Love," he said.
A preliminary hearing takes place today at 9 a.m. in Philadelphia.
The ethnic intimidation charge stems from Pennsylvania's "hate crimes" law – to which the newest "victim" category of "sexual orientation" was recently added. The protesters say a Philadelphia police officer told them that because they were on a public sidewalk they were permitted to move freely through the event. A few minutes later, however, they were arrested and removed.
The Philadelphia 11 face a maximum penalty of 47 years each in jail.
Last one out, turn off the lights and grab the Liberty Bell.
Low people seem to have abetors in extremely high places these days. This kind of law enforcement is intended to allow the corrupt to spread corruption, without dissent or interruption.
The Philadelphia court's apparently define brotherly love, some what different from what most folks do.
They will never let the Liberty bell go- it has a crack.
This is absolutely unbelievable. Where is the justice dept. on this - oh yeah forgot Bush signed legislation which limits are freedom of speech and all the RINOs praised him. Dont expect Bush or any of the RINOs to get involved they could care less about true conservatives or Christians.
YOU and jude know what your opinion means to me right ?, now go away.
You're welcome to it; thankfully, the admissions department at my school didn't agree....
Do you have a rebuttal to my position, or just an ad hominem on my chosen profession?
...screw Philadelphia straight into the pit...I wish I had a booking to cancel there!
By "true" conservatives and Christians I presume you mean the lunatic fringe of the lunatic fringe.
PLEASE see if your legalese understands this, leave me the hell alone.
Destroy the breeders; Before it's too late!!
I for one would like to know what exactly is Christ-like in telling someone to "leave me the hell alone" just because they happen to disagree with you.
We must get the word out in Philadelphia concerning Jury Nullification and ask for trials. It only takes one person to deadlock a jury.
Our government in America is fast becoming the criminal and a dictatorship.
Christians must stop being passive!
I know, I know...nuke em all and let the Lord sort them out, right? Just having fun................
They arrest Christians, but homosexuals are allowed to all but perform actual sex in their so called 'gay pride' parades. Seems some folks need a jolt of lightening from above. (Good thing for them I'm not God.)
Until cities start cracking down on these silly 'gay pride' parades, anything they do to Christian protestors is unfair treatment.
Scripture does instruct Christians to admonish a man once or twice, and if he won't listen, have nothing more to do with him.
If it's the word 'hell' that bothers you, that word appears a number of times in scripture as well.
This thread seems to be getting off track. People are piling onto a self-confessed law student. While it's true that the rationalizations are naive, let's help Jude understand our fundamental objection to the prosecution of the Christians but not the counter-demonstrators. Some good points have been raised:
1. That counter-demonstrating is a bad idea -- which others have characterized as the Christians going meekly into the lion's mouths
2. That an unlimited right to free speech, i.e. demonstrating against those whose positions are offensive, in turn strenghtens them in the same privilege, i.e. gays demonstrating in churches
3. That WND uncritically takes the side of Christians -- others have said the video gives evidence that the demonstrators weren't unruly
4. That the charges against the demonstrators were excessive and draconian -- felony charges and up to 47 years in prison.
To me, this final point is the most important evidence that this is a political persecution. Since there was no bodily or property harm and no children involved, how can any jurisdiction in the United States countenance this degree of oppression for any political demonstration, or even an outright expression of "hate", which this clearly was not? Singing hymns is not hate. Objecting on political grounds (free speech) to what the gays are claiming on political grounds (freedom of association) is not hate, except that all politics involves a certain amount of animosity.
Given the campaign we've just been through, it would seem that most of the nation would be subject to imprisonment after every election if this sort of prosecution of peaceful protesters is allowed to stand.
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