Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Judge drops all chargesagainst Philly Christians
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | February 17, 2005 | WorldNetDaily.com

Posted on 02/17/2005 9:55:43 AM PST by 26lemoncharlie

TESTING THE FAITH Judge drops all charges against Philly Christians Adults who evangelized at homosexual event vindicated, teen girl likely off hook tomorrow

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: February 17, 2005 12:33 p.m. Eastern

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

In what is being hailed as a victory for free speech, a judge in Philadelphia today dismissed all criminal charges against four Christians who were arrested for evangelizing at an outdoor homosexual event.

Judge Pamela Dembe of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas dismissed the charges, saying that she found no basis whatsoever for any of them.

"We are one of the very few countries that protects unpopular speech," Dembe said after viewing a videotape of the arrests. As WorldNetDaily reported, on Oct. 10, a group of 11 Christians was "preaching God's Word" to a crowd of people attending the 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 Christians were arrested and spent a night in jail.

Eight charges were filed: criminal conspiracy, possession of instruments of crime, reckless endangerment of another person, ethnic intimidation, riot, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct and obstructing highways.

None of the Pink Angels was cited or arrested.

After a preliminary hearing in December, Judge William Austin Meehan ordered four of the Christians to stand trial on three felony and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, each could have received a maximum of 47 years in prison. One female teenage protester faces charges in the juvenile justice system, but those charges likely will be dropped tomorrow.

"The judge saw this case for what it is," Joe Infranco, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said in a statement. "This was the right response to an outrageous abuse of power to silence speech that some people didn't like.

"What took place here was a government crackdown on disfavored speech. The OutFest participants staged a national coming-out day on a public street using public funds, and then they tried to say it's a private event. That didn't make any sense, and neither did the actions of the police. …"

Dembe is the judge who last month removed the bail requirement that the defendants stay at least 100 feet away from any homosexual gathering.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: christians; homosexual; homosexualagenda; outfest; philly; philly4; philly5; pinkangels; repentamerica
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-142 next last
To: Pyro7480; Mo1; Howlin; Peach; BeforeISleep; kimmie7; 4integrity; BigSkyFreeper; RandallFlagg; ...
PING...
61 posted on 02/17/2005 11:33:36 AM PST by OXENinFLA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
Can you IMAGINE, even in your wildest imagination, LYNNE ABRAHAM APOLOGIZING????????

LYNNE ABRAHAM is NEVER WRONG!!!!!!

Her apology to my brother was a LYING LETTER to the WALL STREET JOURNAL about what she did at the expense of MY brother's reputation once again.

62 posted on 02/17/2005 11:34:39 AM PST by TAdams8591 (The call you make may be the one that saves Terri's life!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
Can you IMAGINE, even in your wildest imagination, LYNNE ABRAHAM APOLOGIZING????????

LYNNE ABRAHAM is NEVER WRONG!!!!!!

Her apology to my brother was a LYING LETTER to the WALL STREET JOURNAL about what she did at the expense of MY brother's reputation once again.

63 posted on 02/17/2005 11:34:46 AM PST by TAdams8591 (The call you make may be the one that saves Terri's life!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Petronski
Can you IMAGINE, even in your wildest imagination, LYNNE ABRAHAM APOLOGIZING????????

LYNNE ABRAHAM is NEVER WRONG!!!!!!

Her apology to my brother was a LYING LETTER to the WALL STREET JOURNAL about what she did at the expense of MY brother's reputation once again.

64 posted on 02/17/2005 11:34:51 AM PST by TAdams8591 (The call you make may be the one that saves Terri's life!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: 26lemoncharlie

Cool, good news.


65 posted on 02/17/2005 11:35:29 AM PST by hattend (Liberals! Beware the Perfect Rovian Storm [All Hail the Evil War Monkey King, Chimpus Khan!])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Thanks for the ping...should we be worried that they're actually showing some common sense?


66 posted on 02/17/2005 11:35:55 AM PST by Former Dodger (There is nothing quite so good as burial at sea. It is simple, tidy, and not very incriminating. AH)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: CzarNicky
Take that homofacists!

LOL -concur.

67 posted on 02/17/2005 11:38:47 AM PST by DBeers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Amen! Saw this on the other thead. Sue the city!Sue the city! Sue the city! Sue the city! Sue the city!


68 posted on 02/17/2005 11:39:49 AM PST by stevio (Let Freedom Ring!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Yes, praise the Lord! Thanks for keeping us on your ping list. God is great. He will have the victory.


69 posted on 02/17/2005 11:42:07 AM PST by Juan Medén
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: stevio

Other thread?


70 posted on 02/17/2005 11:42:37 AM PST by Pyro7480 ("All my own perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded upon Our Lady." - Tolkien)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: sasafras
They need to sue the people who made these false claims. This is the only way to get justice legally.

Yes. Hate crime laws need to become too expensive to maintain. David Barton warns of a new trend by the Black Robes to protect only minority speech.

David Barton January 5005 interview

71 posted on 02/17/2005 11:44:56 AM PST by Dataman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

And Amen!


72 posted on 02/17/2005 11:45:12 AM PST by steveegg (The secret goal of lieberals - to ensure that no future generation can possibly equal theirs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Amen to that!

Thanks for the ping.


73 posted on 02/17/2005 11:45:38 AM PST by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: OXENinFLA

Smart move by the Judge


74 posted on 02/17/2005 11:46:28 AM PST by Mo1 (Question to Liberals .. When did supporting and defending Freedom become a bad thing??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: conserv13
I don't need a court order to keep me away!

Especially with that new Super AIDS out there starting to kill the homos.

75 posted on 02/17/2005 11:52:29 AM PST by SwankyC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480; 26lemoncharlie; OB1kNOb; 2banana; Chad Fairbanks; little jeremiah; Juan Medén; ...

Like my daddy use to say, "Even a blind hog can find an acorn every once in a while." Same goes for judges.


76 posted on 02/17/2005 11:53:41 AM PST by OB1kNOb ("Do you know why they call it PMS? Because Mad Cow Disease was taken." - author anon, presumed dead)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: 26lemoncharlie

So, how much did this end up costing them for their little sojourn into Philly justice?


77 posted on 02/17/2005 11:54:31 AM PST by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Good. Maybe now “free speech” will start applying to conservatives too.


78 posted on 02/17/2005 11:59:07 AM PST by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: All

Occasionally, I even like to say things three times. My apologies.


79 posted on 02/17/2005 11:59:48 AM PST by TAdams8591 (The call you make may be the one that saves Terri's life!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Yea, it was started 3min before you posted it with the same name. Shhh, I won't say anything. ;^)


80 posted on 02/17/2005 11:59:59 AM PST by stevio (Let Freedom Ring!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-142 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson