Pastor's rights not violated, federal judge rules

[Thom Little]

Monroe pastor and anti-gay crusader Ralph Ovadal's rights to free speech were not violated when Madison police told him to remove anti-gay banners over the Beltline in 2003, a federal judge ruled Monday.

U.S. District Judge John Shabaz told the Monroe pastor, chairman of Wisconsin Christians United, that testimony in the one-day trial of Ovadal's lawsuit against the city showed that the "spectacle" created by the banners on Sept. 2, 2003, created a traffic hazard with traffic slowing, "but there is nothing that suggests it was the message" that caused the dangerous slowdown or caused police to ask the demonstrators to leave.

"There's no evidence to suggest it was the message. None whatsoever," Shabaz said. "People were asked to leave (the overpasses) only because of the narrow circumstances . . . . You can't do it at rush hour. It isn't the message we (motorists) don't like, it's the fact that we can't get home on time."

"I wasn't surprised at all," he said of Shabaz' ruling and dismissal of Ovadal's lawsuit. "The bottom line is, based on traffic congestion caused by a minor accident up the road, and based on angry reactions to our message, we were banned from sharing our message. I believe the appeals court will see that. I think the city very skillfully manipulated the facts."

Ovadal briefly displayed banners reading "Homosexuality is sin" and "Christ can set you free" in September and October 2003 on Beltline overpasses. Police told him the banners were a traffic hazard and ordered them removed.


http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=64920

[bammertheblue]

1. Makes sense

that a huge banner would be deemed a traffic hazard- people drive crazily enough as it is without trying to read stuff while they're at it.
Good call.

[Donkeykick]

2. Let...

the guy do what most people do -- rent a billboard somewhere on the road where it is not so congested.:think:

[oldlady]

3. I saw those - it . was the crowd of people on the overpass

that was so distracting. I was afraid they'd throw something & couldn't figure out what kind of meeting was taking place up there.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. So - what about these guys?

http://www.freewayblogger.com/