First Liberty



The First Amendment guarantees that all Americans have the right to
express their point of view, religious or secular, on a public
sidewalk.

Yet, that's not the case in Brandon, Mississippi.

Gabriel Olivier is an evangelical Christian who shares his faith with
others while standing outside of well-attended events on a public
sidewalk in a public park.

To silence Gabriel, the City of Brandon passed an unconstitutional
ordinance that Iimits him and others from communicating their
religious beliefs in a city park.

You see, the city's ordinance requires Gabriel to stand on a
particular section of sidewalk far away from park visitors. And when
he left the specified area, he was arrested.

After paying a fine for violating the ordinance, Gabriel filed a
lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the law.

But because he paid a fine, Gabriel's lawsuit was dismissed by
both a federal district court and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
without even considering the merits of his case.

The reason? Both courts said that the U.S. Supreme Court's
decision in Heck v. Humphrey, which specifically applies to prisoners,
prevents him from pursuing a claim that his civil rights were violated
by the city ordinance.

Watch First Liberty attorney Nate Kellum further explain this case and
dive deeper into the reasons the Supreme Court should take it up:

[link removed]

The free exercise and free speech clauses in the Constitution doubly
protect our rights to share our faith on a public sidewalk, even in
Brandon, Mississippi.

City ordinances do not trump the Constitution.

The truth is that no American should face criminal charges for sharing
their faith in a public space.

That's why we're asking the Supreme Court to provide
Gabriel the opportunity to challenge the ordinance's
constitutionality.

Will you join us in the fight to protect Gabriel's
constitutional rights?

We can't allow cities like Brandon to legislate expressions of
faith out of public spaces.

Your best gift will give our expert attorneys the resources they need
to make our argument before the Supreme Court and win back
Gabriel's opportunity to challenge the ordinance.

Yes, I will make a gift today >>
[link removed]



GIVE
[link removed]

Join Us on Facebook
[link removed]

Join Us on Instagram
[link removed]

Follow Us on Twitter
[link removed]

Watch Us on YouTube
[link removed]

Join Us on LinkedIn
[link removed]

Sent by First Liberty Institute
[email protected]

2001 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 1600 * Plano, TX 75075 *
972-941-4444

View Online
[link removed]

Donate
[link removed]

Unsubscribe
[link removed]

Privacy Policy
[link removed]

Powered By Blackbaud
[link removed]

? 2025
First Liberty Institute