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Detroit jury finds Terry Jones guilty of breach of peace for attempted protest outside Islamic center
He wanted to protest outside the Islamic center in Dearborn but the city refused him a permit, fearful that some local Muslim might go nuts as a result. So they put him on trial, with the jury asked to determine what they thought his intent would be in holding the protest. If they thought his aim was peaceful, he’d be found not guilty; if they thought he meant to incite violence, then guilty as charged. Verdict: Guilty. Which means not only was this guy convicted of a speech crime he hadn’t yet committed (a.k.a. prior restraint), but it was only a crime in the first place because of the expected reaction from his opponents. In other words, it’s a de facto codification of the heckler’s veto.
Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad also took the stand to testify. Chief Haddad denied the permit request that would allow the protest to take place outside of the mosque. He testified that there were concerns over safety.
Terry Jones also questioned Chief Haddad. He referred to a conversation he had with the Chief and asked him what his impression was after they had met. Chief Haddad responded that Jones was cordial and did not appear to be violent in nature.
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.
Originally posted by FortAnthem
Now these nuts are going WAY overboard with their abuse of the legal system; they arrested "Pastor" Terry Jones for his intent to hold a peaceful protest because of fears that the people he was protesting against might get violent.
Originally posted by notsofunnyguy
reply to post by coyotepoet
And don't forget, he "accidentally" discharged his firearm.
In the tv station parking lot with the cops around, no less.
“This is a complete abuse of the court process, and all those involved should be ashamed,” said Rana Elmir of the ACLU Michigan office. “The prosecutor’s office and the Dearborn court turned the First Amendment on its head. What happened today should never have happened.”
Elmir, Sedler and even Muslim leaders said the prosecutor’s actions had played right into the hands of Jones by giving a him a platform and his supporters a reason to bash Dearborn, whose sizable Muslim community drew Jones here.
Originally posted by coyotepoet
#1 The a**h**e "Pastor" was intending on burning the Koran in the biggest Muslim city in Michigan.
#2 He was armed (which tells me he wanted it to get violent)
#3 What is the point of taking the actions he was taking unless he wanted to incite conflict?
I think that he is right up there with Westboro in being a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Originally posted by adifferentbreed
The first amendment only applies to others in todays pc society.
Originally posted by My.mind.is.mine
reply to post by FortAnthem
You mean the peaceful ARMED protest??? wow.
Prosecutors also brought up safety concerns about Terry Jones carrying a firearm after his weapon accidentally discharged in the parking lot at Detroit TV State WJBK Thursday night. No one was injured.
Several states are considering -- or have passed -- bills banning the use of Islamic law. Last year, Louisiana lawmakers passed an anti-Shari'a bill. In recent months, Texas legislators have cited Dearborn in considering a similar bill. Tennessee also is considering an anti-Shari'a bill. And this week, the Missouri House approved a bill that would ban Shari'a.
Last year, Oklahoma voters approved a ballot measure that would have banned Shari'a law, but a judge later ruled it unconstitutional.
Conservatives point to some cases where judges have cited Islamic law in making decisions. That includes a Florida case involving a dispute at a local mosque, where a judge ruled this year that to resolve one crucial issue in the case, he would consult Islamic law.
Activists also are taking legal action. Earlier this year, the Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center filed a lawsuit against Dearborn, claiming that city officials were influenced by Shari'a when police arrested Christian missionaries last year at an Arab festival.
People should be judged on what they have already done and the consequences of their actions. This whole pre-crime mentality is the reason air travelers are groped and treated like criminals for exercising their right to travel. It doesn't make people feel safer, it only makes the people feel more CONTROLLED
Originally posted by FortAnthem
By taking away Jones' right to protest, they also took away the opportunity for the Muslim community to show that Jones is wrong in his assessment of Islam.
Originally posted by Sinnthia
Jones lost the right to protest? I thought he lost the right to protest with guns he had no clue how to safely handle? His right to protest interfered with the rights of people not be accidentally shot at in parking lots. If he left his guns home, there would have been no problem. He did not lose any rights.
a jury found a proposed protest by Jones and his associate Wayne Sapp outside the Islamic Center of America, the largest mosque in the United States, was likely to breach the peace and incite violence.
Southfield police detail how Pastor Terry Jones accidentally fired handgun outside Fox 2 studios
Southfield Police Department: On April 21, 2011 at approximately 11:10 p.m., Pastor Terry Jones from Gainesville, Florida had just completed an interview at Fox 2 in Southfield, Michigan, as he was entering the passenger side of a vehicle, he retrieved his handgun from the door of the vehicle and he accidently discharged it into the floorboard. No was injured as a result of the accidental discharge of the handgun. A security detail of Southfield Police Officers, who were already on the scene at the request of Fox 2, heard the shot. An investigation was initiated and it was established that Pastor Jones has a valid Florida concealed weapon license and was carrying the weapon, a Taurus, .40 caliber handgun lawfully. A second handgun was located under the driver’s seat of the vehicle, it was established that the handgun belonged to the driver of the vehicle, a 42 year old male from Gainesville, Florida who is an associate of Jones. He also had a valid Florida concealed weapons license.
Based on the initial investigation, it was determined that this was an accidental discharge of a firearm and the filing of criminal charges is not expected. Jones and the other male were released upon the conclusion of the investigation and the weapons were returned.