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Dear John,
The Supreme Court of the United States announced today that it will hear oral argument in the case of Gabriel Olivier. This is the first case taken by the Supreme Court involving the right to share one’s faith in public in decades.
Gabriel is an evangelical Christian who believes in sharing his faith with others. He routinely stands outside of well-attended events hoping to have peaceful conversations with as many people as possible as they leave.
To put a stop to this, the City of Brandon, Mississippi adopted an unconstitutional ordinance that prohibits religious speech on a public sidewalk near the city’s amphitheater which is in a public park.
Instead, people like Gabriel are forced to stand in a “protest” area located far away from the amphitheater.
After realizing no one could hear him, Gabriel violated the ordinance by moving closer to the event. And when he did, he was arrested and fined.
Gabriel then legally challenged the ordinance because it limited his First Amendment right to free speech. But because he paid the fine, the courts dismissed his case, denying him his day in court.
That’s not only wrong. It’s unconstitutional.
That’s why we are asking the justices to decide if the government can criminalize someone’s speech and deny them the opportunity to have their case heard in a court of law.
Listen to First Liberty’s Hiram Sasser discuss what’s constitutionally at stake in this case and how it could impact your right to have your day in court.
It is unconstitutional for the government to silence speech simply because they disagree with the message.
Every American has the First Amendment right to free speech; and every American has a right to their day in court. Both of these rights were denied to Gabe Olivier.
The Supreme Court will now decide whether those rights will be protected for all Americans.
Will you join the fight to keep free speech free?
Yes, I’ll join the fight to protect our First Amendment rights »
Grateful for you,
Kelly
Kelly Shackelford, Esq.
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute
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