Judge sued for ordering 'no-speech zones'

[Desertdog]

Judge sued for ordering 'no-speech zones'
Police arrested Christians sharing
faith outside courthouse

Posted: October 15, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46853


© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

A judge who declared all public areas of Los Angeles County courthouses "no speech zones" has been hit with a federal civil rights lawsuit.

According to the complaint filed Thursday, a general order issued Sept. 13 by California Superior Court Judge William MacLaughlin "prohibits such free speech activities as picketing, distribution of literature, and demonstration."

"The courts are supposed to be protecting our First Amendment rights, not suppressing them," said Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. "This judge's order is a constitutional travesty and has already forced our clients and other law-abiding citizens from engaging in classic, ordinary free speech."


The complaint says the ban "requires even an individual prospective speaker to get a permit but fails to provide any objective criteria or time restrictions governing the granting of a permit."

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys represent best-selling author and TV co-host Ray Comfort and Pastor Emeal Zwayne.

ADF says the two Christian ministers have been peacefully sharing their faith most mornings for the last two and a half years outside the Los Angeles County courthouse in Bellflower.

For 20 minutes each morning, Comfort and Zwayne talk with people waiting outside before the courthouse opens for the day.

They have never caused any disturbance for the court or for uninterested persons, ADF insists.

Because of the court's "no speech zone" order, police officers removed the two men from a walkway outside of the courthouse Sept. 30 and told them not to return.

"Our clients have been peaceably speaking on the courthouse steps for years," said Johnson. "Now a judge has proclaimed a sudden and sweeping crackdown on free speech. A courthouse is the last place you'd expect to find a restriction on an American's First Amendment rights."

Johnson said he expects the federal court will "see the obvious problems with Judge MacLaughlin's order and declare it unconstitutional."

 

[HighVelocity]

Johnson said he expects the federal court will "see the obvious problems with Judge MacLaughlin's order and declare it unconstitutional."

Sounds like Judge MacLaughlin's got a bad case of high and mighty.

 

[Moondoggie]

A simpler solution would be for the county sheriff to tell the judge that he refuses to use his deputies to enforce an order that is obviously unconstitutional. It's a county court house, and the sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. He was probably sworn in with an oath to support and defend the constitution as are most elected officials. Time for him to "reach down and get ahold of 'em".

"General orders" from the bench need to be brought to a screeching halt. The black robed tyrants are playing legislative branch without a union card!

 

[Hardware]

A simpler solution would be for the county sheriff to tell the judge that he refuses to use his deputies to enforce an order that is obviously unconstitutional.

I believe when called to the witness stand the sheriff and his deputies will say; "I was just following orders." Hopefully it will hold as much water as it did at Nuremburg.

 

[Standing Wolf]

"The courts are supposed to be protecting our First Amendment rights, not suppressing them," said Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund.

I'm sure he's defended the Second Amendment just as vigorously.

 

[AZRickD]

Note that the LEOs willingly executed his blatantly stupid order.

Rick

 

[rick_reno]

"The courts are supposed to be protecting our First Amendment rights, not suppressing them," said Mike Johnson

What country is Mr. Johnson living in?

 

[MechAg94]

I was sort of asking myself who gave that judge the authority to do that. I guess the Sherrif and his deputies did.

 

[RealGun]

Yet it's okay to prohibit carrying weapons in a courthouse and to screen people to ensure compliance.

Before spouting off on this issue, I would prefer to know what complaint brought on the action. Rights being subject to regulation is nothing new.

 

[AirForceShooter]

the LEO's did as the judge asked. that's the part that gets me.
The judges order is so blatantly unlawful it's amazing anyone would obey it.

AFS

 

[rdbrowning]

Didn't somebody say that the second amendment gaurenteed the preservation of the others? But who is exercising the second ammendment and defying this idiot and his mindless minions? When is somebody going to stand up and start shooting the tyrants? Or are we all like the frogs, slowly being boiled and we don't have a clear cut "line in the sand" to say the time has come?

I'm sure that some feel that my response is "overboard" and non-THR, but remember that the HIGH road is about doing what is RIGHT, even when it isn't politically correct, nor necessiarrly even legal. Rmember our declairation of independance was an illegal act of treason that lead to great bloodshed. I think it is time to shake the tree of liberty again.

 

[fjolnirsson]

I'm sure that some feel that my response is "overboard" and non-THR, but remember that the HIGH road is about doing what is RIGHT, even when it isn't politically correct, nor necessiarrly even legal. Rmember our declairation of independance was an illegal act of treason that lead to great bloodshed. I think it is time to shake the tree of liberty again.

Now, now. Watch that "harmful patriot rhetoric"!

I agree with you, by the way.

 

[El Tejon]

This is OUTSIDE the courthouse there?

I could understand inside, but outside the courthouse?

Wonder if such an order would have been issued if the two men were preaching Islam instead of Christianity?

 

[TheEgg]

Note that the LEOs willingly executed his blatantly stupid order.

Stupid until next year, when the Supreme Court upholds the judges decision, with the vote of newly installed "swing" justice Miers being the key vote.