Gideons handing out Bibles on public sidewalk arrested after school officials complain
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Two men who are members of Gideons International, the Christian organization that is famous for, among other ministries, placing Bibles in motels and giving them to children, have been arrested after trying to hand out Bibles on a public sidewalk in Florida, according to a law firm.
Officials with the Alliance Defense Fund have confirmed they will be representing Anthony Mirto and Ernest Simpson, who were arrested, booked into jail and charged with trespassing.
Jeremy Tedesco, one of the ADF’s lawyers on the case, confirmed to WND that the organization’s clients were on a public sidewalk when they were handing out Bibles and school officials summoned police.
Yes, it reads public sidewalk and yes, it reads school officials. I hope you’ll also notice that it doesn’t say anything about sex offenders, child molesters or military funerals.
“The First Amendment protects the right to engage in religious speech on a public sidewalk,” ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman said. “Members of the Gideons have been highly respected for decades as peaceful providers of free Bibles to those who want them.”
The arrest happened Jan. 19, when Mirto and Simpson were on the sidewalk outside of Key Largo School in Key Largo, Fla., and were distributing copies of the Bible to those interested.
“Neither man entered school grounds,” the law firm said. “After the school’s principal called police, a Monroe County sheriff’s officer asked the men to leave immediately or face trespassing charges. As the men prepared to leave, the officer decided to arrest both individuals.”
I'm always quite leery when folks are arrested for doing nothing. Now, sure; police departments are a law unto themselves and can do as they pretty much please as long as no wealthy feathers are ruffled...picture Donald Trump instead of the two Gideon boys...but it is hard to imagine an officer arresting Gideons for no apparent reason other than the fact that they CAN be a pain in the rear and perhaps they simply caught him at a bad time, but you'd think that saner heads would prevail and then void a bad arrest.
Thre's a lot more to this than meets the eye. Cops are usually squeamish when it comes to fiddling with streetside preachers.
What is even more curious is the fact that Monroe County does not list an Anthony Mirto or Ernest Simpson as ever having been arrested. I dislike passing along bad information so I'll keep trying to determine the validity of this story.
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