HICKORY, N.C. — Two Christians arrested for expressing their faith in public have been assured by town officials that their constitutional right to religious free speech will be respected in the future. After criminal trespassing charges against Matthew and Jesse Boyd were dropped, they asked Alliance Defense Fund attorneys to represent them with the hope that their rights and those of other Christians will be respected in the future.
“Christians shouldn’t be penalized for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Legal Counsel Tim Chandler. “It was unconstitutional to charge these men with a crime simply because they chose to share their faith peacefully in public. But now the city of Hickory should be commended for responding so well to respect the First Amendment rights of its citizens.”
On June 27, 2008, the Boyds and two friends attended the Hickory Alive Festival, a local event in the downtown plaza that was open to the public. Although the four acted peacefully while distributing literature and sharing their faith, festival organizers claimed that such activities were not permitted during the event. The Boyds were eventually arrested and charged with trespassing.
After being contacted by the Boyds, ADF attorneys sent a letter to Hickory officials asking for assurance that the religious free speech rights of all Christians would be protected in the future. Since the incident occurred, Hickory officials agreed to protect those rights, and also held an in-service training session for local police officers on relevant constitutional rights to prevent any further problems.
ADF-allied attorney J. Denice von Gnechten of Charlotte provided assistance with the case.
A copy of the letter sent to Hickory officials by ADF attorneys is available at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/BoydLetter.pdf. The city’s response may be read at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/BoydResponse.pdf.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org