Friday, April 22, 2011

Dearborn Demo Would “Breach the Peace”

The jury at the courthouse in Dearborn, Michigan has finally ruled: by holding his demo in front of the Islamic Center, Terry Jones would be breaching the peace.

People are threatening to kill him because he criticizes Islam. That means his protest would “lead to violence”. Those are the rules of the game now in Modern Multicultural America.

Everyone says the USA is better off than Europe, but I don’t see much difference — we started out way behind them in the Islamization race, but we’re catching up fast.

It’s not clear what will happen next. The demonstration at the mosque was scheduled for 5pm, which has now come and gone. Pastor Jones says he’ll be back, but it sounds like it will be next week.

According to The Detroit Free Press:

Dearborn Jury: Terry Jones Rally Would Breach the Peace

A Dearborn jury just sided with prosecutors, ruling that Terry Jones and Wayne Sapp would breach the peace if they rallied at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.

Judge Mark Somers will now determine the conditions of Terry Jones’ bond. Pastor Jones is sitting quietly after the jury’s decision, his head tilted down a bit, staring at the table.

The development comes after the jury deliberated for several hours. Watch Freep.com for the verdict.

In closing arguments, Wayne County assistant prosecutor Robert Moran said the pastors would disturb the peace if they were allowed to protest today at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.

Jones and Sapp argued their right is protected under the First Amendment. “That’s what made America great,” said Sapp. “We’re entitled to our opinion.”

‘We’ll do it today at 5 or we’ll come back next week’ Earlier, after an intense debate in court this morning over free speech and religion, Pastor Terry Jones said that he’s not backing down from his plans to protest at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.

Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad testified today that there have been at least four serious threats made against Jones from metro Detroiters, arguing that his protest could lead to violence if allowed.

But Jones told the Free Press during his lunch break: “We’ll do it today at 5 or we’ll come back next week.”

Speaking at a McDonald’s restaurant down the street from the courthouse, Jones -- who’s defending himself -- said he thought the proceedings are going well. And he said the government’s case was weak.

As he spoke, someone drove down Michigan Avenue yelling “Get out of Dearborn, you terrorist!”

[…]

The opening statements of Wayne County Prosecutor Robert Moran and Pastor Terry Jones offered clashing visions as both wrestled with issues of religion and freedom of speech. The court drew both supporters and opponents, Christians and Muslims. The ACLU of Michigan was also there to monitor the case because the group has concerns that Jones’ free speech rights are being violated by Wayne County and Dearborn Police.

Jones was in court along with Pastor Wayne Sapp, who is known for burning a copy of the Quran on Jones’ orders.

In his opening statement, Jones repeated negative comments about Islam that he made last month when he oversaw the burning of the Quran in Florida. He said in court today that the Quran “promotes terrorist activities around the world.”

He also strongly defended the U.S. Constitution.

“The one thing that makes the Constitution great is the First Amendment,” Jones said to the jury.

Except for the Bible, the Constitution is the greatest document in history, Jones said.

“The 1st Amendment does us no good if it confines us to saying what is popular,” he added.

Moran said in his opening statement this was an issue of security and breaching the peace.

11 comments:

Zenster said...

A Dearborn jury just sided with prosecutors, ruling that Terry Jones and Wayne Sapp would breach the peace if they rallied at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.

This conclusion was reached in direct defiance of in-court testimony to the contrary showing that Pastor Jones had no previous history of violence either personally or at any of his demonstrations.

All of this despite testimony from the city's police chief that locals were responsible for all threats of violence.

Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad testified today that there have been at least four serious threats made against Jones from metro Detroiters, arguing that his protest could lead to violence if allowed.

Why Judge Somers did not dismiss the jury for their rejection of the null hypothesis (i.e., innocent until being proven guilty) should be grounds for legal censure of the bench in this case.

Profitsbeard said...

So, if Muslims threaten a "breach of the peace" because a free U.S. citizen uses their inalienable First Amendment right to speech and to peacefully criticize the tenets of a terroristic theocratic deathcult, then the U.S. government will move to suppress the freedom of its own peaceful citizen to criticize the deathcult and sides with said deathcult?

This unconstitutional idiocy will not stand.

goethechosemercy said...

Breaching the peace?
Of whom?
The peace of the conquering Islamic horde, perhaps?

gspencer said...

The behavior of the Dearborn police and especially this judge (who in this role is also in charge of the jury and the instructions given to it) are so egregious that it is entirely possible that they might lose any defense of qualified immunity on the basis that they have violated Jones' clearly established constitutional rights. This would proceed from the USSC's 1982 Harlow v. Fitzgerald decision.

Greg said...

Sadly ironic that, on the day Christians mark the Crucifixion of Christ after a rigged trial, the state of Michigan has crucified the First Amendment with an equal amount of due process.

rui said...

Now is the MSM's chance to do their thing and dutifully ignore this monstrosity against freedom of speech and everything that made America what it once was!
How much more of this crap are we going to take, I really don't know. Irony of ironies that this has come to pass in Easter. A public crucifiction of justice and freedom this early in the 21st century. I think it really sets the tone for the next few decades.
Freedom, justice and the truth are no defense anymore.

Right now, the useful idiots that comprise the intelligentsia are our greatest enemy; but soon, the islamists will be free to be "good muslims" in broad daylight.

Larry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Larry said...

Here we have a demonstration of the self-evident fact that a tolerant society cannot maintain its basic principals while catering to the demands of sub-groups which forcibly reject that given tolerance. Ironically, at some point the only avenue the majority will have left to protect its freedoms will be to respond to the minority's threat of violence with a stronger threat of violence of its own.

urah2222 said...

Larry -

Hey Scimitar, meet my friends, Messrs. Smith and Wesson.

Dr. Shalit

Zenster said...

Dr. Shalit: Hey Scimitar, meet my friends, Messrs. Smith and Wesson.

As the old saying goes: NEVER bring a knife to a gunfight!

Professor L said...

Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, I prefer a bayonet, with some guts behind it. Best of both worlds, you see?