I think the folks who have to balance the budgets and yet provide police would like to speak to you.

I think the folks who have to balance the budgets and yet provide police would like to speak to you.

Per twitter feeds I'm looking at: a jury has ruled that Pastor Jones and his protest is likely to breach the peace.

Jury is coming back in. Court is being called back into order.

Jury sided with the prosecutors. I guess that means no permit will be issued. Now what. Jones gets to sue like the Westboro folks do. That will cost the city as well.

So, if an anti-Semitic community found worship services at a synagogue so offensive that they were willing to commit acts of terrorism against it, and this necessitated expending money to protect them, we should shut down the synagogue? Allowing protected rights to be shut down by the illegal acts of third parties is not what this country is about. If Jones is breaking the law, he can and should be shut down. He should not be shut down because of illegal threats from third parties.

I don't think this is the same thing.

I don't think a guy going on a roadshow is the same thing at all as what you describe here. Each and every town Jones takes his show to will have to pay for security.

Heck, it looks like he gets better security than most politicians or judges.

I don't think this is the same thing.

I don't think a guy going on a roadshow is the same thing at all as what you describe here. Each and every town Jones takes his show to will have to pay for security.

Heck, it looks like he gets better security than most politicians or judges.

If I heard the judge correctly, the two are off to jail until they post a one-dollar bail. I didn't hear the first part of his ruling.

The refusal to post $1 peace bonds, which carry the important restriction for three years of not entering upon the property of the Islamic Center or adjacent property, shows me that Jones only wanted to cause offense.

Confirmed by WXYZ Detroit: Jones refused to post a one dollar bond. As a result, he was jailed.

I think the jury actually ruled that the bond he should be required to pay, the peace bond, was one dollar. That's fascinating! The jury understands the 1st Amendment better than the prosecution did!

The refusal to post $1 peace bonds, which carry the important restriction for three years of not entering upon the property of the Islamic Center or adjacent property, shows me that Jones only wanted to cause offense.

The amount of the bond was set by the judge, as was the restriction against being on or near the mosque's property. This seems to me to be very much like a bond to prevent stalking.

Former Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga agreed the procedure being used against Jones runs contrary to Supreme Court precedent.

"There appears to be no evidence, no allegation even that Rev. Jones has made a threat against a person or has made a threat against the property of another," Marlinga said. "The Dearborn Police and Wayne County prosecutor are mixing apples and oranges."

Marlinga said regardless of the outcome of today's trial, Jones will have grounds for legal action. The city is better off if it loses in court today, because they "won't have this mistake to be looking at," Marlinga said.

"Even if you think someone will say something that will inflame a crowd, you cannot use the court process in advance to rule on whether or not a person can speak," he said. "Constitutionally, you just can't do it. You can't say if you don't put up money for a bond we're not going to let you speak."

I have to agree with Poutine and Loh. This is where the rubber meets the road on the 1st Amendment. If we can't protect it here, we can't protect it at all. That's fairly old common sense when it comes to freedom of speech issues.

Even though I'd like to be able to believe in Hell for scumbags like these.

It's a lot like the Westboro cases but they weren't 'carrying' and they stayed within permitted areas. Wouldn't that make a difference?

A vigorous debate, and an open viewing of what this pastor really believes, are what will lead to society's strong condemnation of his ideas. Putting him in jail only serves as fuel for bigots like him who claim there is some "silent majority" out there that actually agrees with them. It's hard to dispute that claim when no one shows up for a counter-protest, which didn't take place because the protest was censored.