The Religion of Atheism Terrorizes Christmas Traditions Once Again!?

It's no surprise that the religion of Atheism is terrorizing Christmas once again.  Yes, I said "the religion of Atheism". 

Religion is defined in many ways.  One of the definitions is "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith"  Another definition that fits Atheism is "2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generallyagreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christianreligion; the Buddhist religion.  3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.  More over, another location that shows Atheism as a religion is its own Wikipedia Page "Atheism is accepted within some religious and spiritual belief systems, including Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Raelism, Neopagan movements^[19] such as Wicca,^[20] and nontheistic religions."

As a religion, Atheism has no more right than anyone else in displaying Christmas or other holiday items, or taking away the freedom of other religions to do the same.  In fact, these displays are also the freedom of speech and sometimes other freedoms that we all enjoy in this great United States of America.

As offensive as it has been in the past that Atheists have taken to court holidays like Christmas, Christmas of 2012 seems to be the Christmas that Atheists are attacking more than any in the past.

Really, the people that are taking on Christmas, are not all Atheists, but a group called the Freedom From Religion Foundation.  These people associated with this group have radical goals and they want radical change.  Their change is not related to just practicing Atheism, but practicing hate and they are using the court of law to push their agenda forward.  This is a group that should be classified as a "hate group" based on their actions, goals, bylaws, and intentions.  Take a look at the examples as shown below and don't put Atheism in the same class as the Freedom From Religion Foundation.  Most Atheists would not do the things seen below.

ATHEISTS UNVEIL ‘BLASPHEMOUS’ NATIVITY AT WIS. CAPITOL: DARWIN, EINSTEIN, & AN AFRICAN BABY

A mock nativity scene created from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (Image Credit: WXOW.com)

Earlier this week, the Blaze reported about the “slightly blasphemous” nativity scene that the Freedom From Religion Foundation has been planning to put in the Wisconsin state capitol. The atheist group was so frustrated over the presence of a Christian nativity, that its leaders decided to seek out a permit to make public what the group’s co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor calls an “irreverent tweak on the nativity scene.”

On Wednesday, the FFRF made good on its promise to counter the Christian depiction assembled by Wisconsin Family Action (WFA), a conservative organization in the region. In the atheist version of the nativity, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein are the three wise men. The baby, an African girl, is intended to represent the birthplace of mankind. The beloved angels are an astronaut and the Statue of Liberty.

According to FFRF, the nativity spoof wouldn’t have been created if the capitol’s rotunda didn’t already have other religious displays. But because the Christian message was represented, Gaylor’s group demanded that theirs be viewed too.

“But, since it is a public forum, it didn’t look like legally we could do anything, so, we were left with putting up our own, natural nativity display,” Gaylor explained. ”We think that the rotunda is getting too littered, we don’t think that it should be a public forum for religion at the seat of government.”

read more at: http://www.theblaze.com

Freedom From Religion Foundation

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is a national, non-profit organization based in Madison, Wisconsin, with members from all 50 states.^[2] Its purposes, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism. The FFRF publishes the newspaper Freethought Today. The organization pursues public-interest lawsuits and engages in public debates to further its goals. Since 2006, the Foundation has produced the Freethought Radio show.

read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_From_Religion_Foundation

Atheists' move halts Christmas tradition in California, churches go to court to get it back

Published November 18, 2012

Associated Press

• 
  Dec. 13, 2011: A woman walks past a two of the traditional displays showing the Nativity scene along Ocean Avenue at Palisades Park in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP)

...

"It's a sad, sad commentary on the attitudes of the day that a nearly 60-year-old Christmas tradition is now having to hunt for a home, something like our savior had to hunt for a place to be born because the world was not interested," said Hunter Jameson, head of the nonprofit Santa Monica Nativity Scene Committee that is suing.

...

National atheist groups earlier this year took out full-page newspaper ads and hundreds of TV spots in response to the Catholic bishops' activism around women's health care issues and are gearing up to battle for their own space alongside public Christmas displays in small towns across America this season.

"In recent years, the tactic of many in the atheist community has been, if you can't beat them, join them," said Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center and director of the Newseum's Religious Freedom Education Project in Washington. "If these church groups insist that these public spaces are going to be dominated by a Christian message, we'll just get in the game — and that changes everything."

In the past, atheists primarily fought to uphold the separation of church and state through the courts. The change underscores the conviction held by many nonbelievers that their views are gaining a foothold, especially among young adults.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/18/atheists-move-halts-christmas-tradition-in-santa-monica-churches-go-to-court-to/#ixzz2CtJePSIU

Atheism

Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities.^[1][2] In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.^[3][4][5] Most inclusively, atheism is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist.^[4][5][6][7] Atheism is contrasted with theism,^[8][9] which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.^[9][10]

The term atheism originated from the Greek ἄθεος (atheos), meaning "without god(s)", used as a pejorative term applied to those thought to reject the gods worshipped by the larger society. With the spread offreethought, skeptical inquiry, and subsequent increase in criticism of religion, application of the term narrowed in scope. The first individuals to identify themselves using the word "atheist" lived in the 18th century.^[11]

Arguments for atheism range from the philosophical to social and historical approaches. Rationales for not believing in any supernatural deity include the lack of empirical evidence,^[12][13] the problem of evil, the argument from inconsistent revelations, and the argument from nonbelief.^[12][14] Although some atheists have adopted secular philosophies,^[15][16] there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.^[17] Many atheists hold that atheism is a more parsimonious worldview than theism, and therefore the burden of proof lies not on the atheist to disprove the existence of God, but on the theist to provide a rationale for theism.^[18]

Atheism is accepted within some religious and spiritual belief systems, including Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Raelism, Neopagan movements^[19] such as Wicca,^[20] and nontheistic religions. Jainism and some forms of Buddhism do not advocate belief in gods,^[21] whereas Hinduism holds atheism to be valid, but some schools view the path of an atheist to be difficult to follow in matters of spirituality.^[22]

read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

Atheist Group Backs Parents Who Are Upset School Wants To Take Kids To See ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ At Church

November 20, 2012 11:09 AM

Photo of a display of “Peanuts” cartoons by the lateCharles Schulz at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Oct. 15, 2008. (credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CBS Atlanta) — Charlie Brown has been caught in the crossfire of the “war on Christmas” mantra.

...One unidentified parent did have a problem, though.

“I think church and school should be kept completely separate at all times,” the parent told the station.

“A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which was first released in 1965, is the story about Charlie Brown looking past the commercialism that surrounds Christmas and finds the true meaning of the day through his friend Linus.

source: http://atlanta.cbslocal.com

ILLINOIS TOWN ENDS CHRISTMAS TRADITION TO APPEASE ATHEISTS

by MARY CHASTAIN 20 Nov 2012

Alsip, Illinois will break tradition by not erecting a cross next to the Tri-State Tollway this Christmas season due to a lawsuit threatened by the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

...The tradition started in the 1970s. The town will put up a decorated tree in the cross’s place, but will not call it a Christmas tree to avoid any further problems. Yesterday, Santa Monica, CA officials ended a 60-year tradition by banning nativity displays in a public park in order to avoid a fight with atheist groups. 

read more at http://www.breitbart.com

Atheist Eve

Spiritual, but not Religious?
(August 2012)

Anti-Muslim Video Never Linked To Libya Attack Per State Department

STATE DEPARTMENT: WE NEVER LINKED LIBYA ATTACK TO ANTI-MUSLIM VIDEO

Posted on October 9, 2012 at 8:25pm by  Jason Howerton

A pair of boots lies on the ground at the US consulate compound in Benghazi on September 13, 2012, following an attack on the building late on September 11 in which the US ambassador to Libya and three other US nationals were killed. Libya said it has made arrests and opened a probe into the attack, amid speculation that Al-Qaeda rather than a frenzied mob was to blame. (Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (TheBlaze/AP) — The State Department said Tuesday it never concluded that the consulate attack in Libya stemmed from protests over an American-made video ridiculing Islam, raising further questions about why the Obama administration used that explanation for more than a week after assailants killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

The revelation came as new documents suggested internal disagreement over appropriate levels of security before the attack, which occurred on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the U.S.

Briefing reporters ahead of a hotly anticipated congressional hearing Wednesday, State Department officials provided their most detailed rundown of how a peaceful day in Benghazi devolved into a sustained attack that involved multiple groups of men armed with weapons such as machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars over an expanse of more than a mile.

But asked about the administration’s initial – and since retracted – explanation linking the violence to protests over an anti-Muslim video circulating on the Internet, one official said, “That was not our conclusion.“ He called it a question for ”others” to answer, without specifying. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter, and provided no evidence that might suggest a case of spontaneous violence or angry protests that went too far.

read more at http://www.theblaze.com/stories/ap-sources-state-department-never-linked-libya-attack-to-anti-muslim-video/

Producer of anti-Islam film to appear in court...

This Sept. 27, 2012, file courtroom sketch shows Mark Basseley Youssef, right, talking with his attorney Steven Seiden in court.(photo credit: AP Photo/Mona Shafer Edwards)

The man of many aliases, Mark Basseley Youssef, due to face questioning about violating probation

October 10, 2012, 3:36 pm

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California man with many aliases who was behind an anti-Muslim film that sparked violence in the Middle East is expected to be asked by a judge Wednesday whether he violated his probation for a 2010 bank fraud conviction.

Federal prosecutors said Mark Basseley Youssef, 55, had eight probation violations, including lying to his probation officer and using aliases. If Youssef denies those allegations, a judge will then likely schedule an evidentiary hearing.

Youssef has been in a federal detention center since Sept. 28 after he was arrested for the probation violations and deemed a flight risk by a magistrate judge.

He went into hiding after a 14-minute trailer for the movie “Innocence of Muslims” was posted on YouTube. Angry protests stoked by the film broke out in Egypt and Libya, and violence related to the film has spread, killing dozens. Enraged Muslims demanded punishment for Youssef, and a Pakistani cabinet minister has offered a $100,000 bounty to anyone who kills him.

Federal authorities have said Youssef isn’t behind bars because of the film or its content, which portrays Muhammad as a religious fraud, womanizer and pedophile. They said Youssef hasn’t been truthful about his identity, using different names after he was convicted in 2010 of bank fraud.

Youssef was sentenced to 21 months in prison. He was barred from using computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer, though prosecutors said none of the violations involved the Internet.

An email left for Youssef’s attorney, Steven Seiden, was not immediately returned Tuesday.

At least three names have been revealed to be associated with Youssef in the past several weeks. Court documents show Youssef legally changed his name from Nakoula Basseley Nakoula in 2002, but never told federal authorities, who used that as part of the probation violation case against him.

Youssef, an Egyptian-born Christian who’s now a US citizen, sought to obtain a passport in his new name but still had a California driver’s license as Nakoula, authorities said. Youssef used a third name, Sam Bacile, in association with the film.

Authorities said Youssef used more than a dozen aliases and opened about 60 bank accounts and had more than 600 credit and debit cards to conduct a check fraud scheme.

When he was identified as Nakoula after the movie trailer went viral, federal probation officials questioned him. He denied using the name Sam Bacile, which was listed on the YouTube account that posted the trailer, and said his role in the film was limited to writing the script.

read more at http://www.timesofisrael.com/producer-of-anti-islam-film-to-appear-in-court/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Email Theft & the Wikileaks Release

Here is an email I received that may interest you in the legalities, or rather the illegalities of Wikileaks and their taking private and supposedly secure property and turning it into a public nightmare...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

George Friedman on Email Theft and the Wikileaks Release

—Visit Stratfor.com/hacking-news to watch this video message from George Friedman

Transcript:

I'm George Friedman, founder and CEO of Stratfor.

As most of you know, in December thieves hacked into Stratfor data systems and stole a large number of company emails, as well as private information of Stratfor subscribers and friends. Today Wikileaks is publishing the emails that were stolen in December. This is a deplorable, unfortunate -- and illegal -- breach of privacy.

Some of the emails may be forged or altered to include inaccuracies. Some may be authentic. We will not validate either, nor will we explain the thinking that went into them. Having had our property stolen, we will not be victimized twice by submitting to questions about them.

The disclosure of these emails does not mean that there has been another hack of Stratfor's computer and data systems. Those systems, which we have rebuilt with enhanced security measures, remain secure and protected.

The release of these emails is, however, a direct attack on Stratfor. This is another attempt to silence and intimidate the company, and one we reject. As you can see, emails sent to many people about my resignation were clearly forged.

We do not know what else has been manufactured. Stratfor will not be silenced, and we will continue to publish the geopolitical analysis our friends and subscribers have come to rely on.

As we have said before, Stratfor has worked to build good sources in many countries around the world, as any publisher of geopolitical analysis would do.

We are proud of the relationships we have built, which help our analysts better understand the issues in many of these countries through the eyes of people who live there.

We have developed these relationships with individuals and partnerships with local media in a straightforward manner, and we are committed to meeting the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct.

Stratfor is not a government organization, not is it affiliated with any government. The emails are private property. Like all private emails, they were written casually, with no expectation that anyone other than the sender and recipient would ever see them. And clearly, as with my supposed resignation letter, some of the emails may be fabricated or altered.

Stratfor understands that this hack and the fallout from it have created serious difficulties for our subscribers, friends and employees. We again apologize for this incident, and we deeply appreciate the loyalty that has been shown to Stratfor since last year's hack.

We want to assure everyone that Stratfor is recovering from the hack. We will continue to do what we do best: produce and publish independent analysis of international affairs. And we will be back in full operation in the coming weeks. We look forward to continuing to serve you.

Your security: You can confirm all official emailed communications from Stratfor at Stratfor.com/hacking-news
Questions? Contact feedback@stratfor.com or (512) 744-4300 ext 2

U.S. Congress Attempting To Pass Internet Censorship Bill

Sign up to get involved
The internet we know and love is at risk. Help save it.
Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could profoundly affect the future of the internet. It's called the Stop Online Piracy Act.

The fact is that this legislation as written won't stop piracy. But it would pose a serious threat to social media and user generated content sites (like YouTube) across the internet. It could also undermine some of the core technical systems underlying the internet, creating new cybersecurity risks.

As a non-profit committed to keeping the web open and accessible to all, Mozilla wants to ensure that this legislation does not jeopardize the foundational structure of the Internet.
 
So we've done two things so far:
1) Earlier this week, we wrote a joint letter with Facebook, Google, Twitter, eBay, Yahoo! and other technology companies publicly opposing this legislation -- and placed ads in various influential newspapers across the country.

2) We also joined other organizations in a day of action on November 16th -- when hearings were being held in the U.S. House -- to draw attention to the issue and get people to contact their representatives.
But these are only the first steps toward ensuring that the proposed legislation does not pass as currently written.

If you'd like to get involved, please sign up using the form on the right. We'll be in touch with ways to help in this campaign along with our other efforts to defend and improve the Web.

If you are not in the U.S., please pass this page along to anyone you know in the States -- and I'd encourage you to sign up anyway, to stay informed about what we're up to.

Click here to get involved

Occupy Protesters DO NOT Represent The 99%!

The "Occupy" movement that has spread across the United States is a definite showing of people taking advantage of the Freedom of Speech.  In fact, the Founding Fathers are likely rolling in their graves because these "99%" protesters are abusing the freedoms citizens of the U.S. constitutionally receive, as a gift and honor, from those who fought for our freedoms in the days of the Founding Fathers to today.

I can tell you that these protesters do not represent the 99%.  To the point, these protesters only represent themselves.  Many of these people who are involved in the "Occupy" movement don't respect the laws where they are protesting in the first place.  Let me list the ways that I personally feel these "99%" don't represent the actual 99% and the ways they are making America look like a joke to the rest of the world...

• defecating on cars and on other properties like animals
• "representing" while being unkempt from the beginning and obviously not employment material
• attempting to block the actual 99% from entering their places of employment
• disrupting road traffic, causing issues for the real 99% in getting to and from their employment or their interviews for employment
• disrupting mass transit, doing the same as the above
• destruction of private and public property
• costing taxpayers millions of dollars to clean-up encampments, repair property, additional numbers of police being placed on active duty and for longer hours, etc.
• causing pollution due to traffic jams and costing the taxpayer more money in refueling after being stuck in said traffic jams
• protesting against Wells Fargo and then turning around and depositing money there
• causing traffic accidents
• spewing hatred instead of offering solutions (and possibly thinking of showering, shaving, and looking for employment)
• etc.

Here are some links for the backing up of the above statements...

"After a hard day at work, my husband was stopped in traffic for TWO+ solid hours, because of OCCUPY. There were accidents caused because of them today. They chose a time that could CAUSE accidents (Rush Hour.) He saw them being belligerant to police; the videos only show the aftermath, not what led up to the “pepper spray.” He was not feeling well, and he could not move, or leave his vehicle. Their rights? They TRAMPLED HIS rights. He was GLAD the police were there.
Comment by Nancy Leff — November 15, 11 7:08 pm"  RE:Occupy Seattle

"Occupy Oakland's costs to its host city are growing - and no end is in sight.

The city said Monday that it had spent $2.4 million since the first tent was pitched at Frank Ogawa Plaza on Oct. 10, including $1.1 million in police costs alone. Those expenses shot up sharply with Monday's sweep to clear out the encampment outside City Hall.

The 13 outside law enforcement agencies that sent officers to help Oakland police will charge a total of $500,000, officials said.

Read more: RE:Occupy Oakland

"The First Amendment is not absolute. Government can make reasonable stipulations about the time, place and manner a peaceable protest can take place, as long as those restrictions are applied in a content-neutral way.

"But what constitutes a reasonable time, place and manner restriction? 'It depends on the context and circumstances,' said Geoffrey Stone, a professor specializing in constitutional law at the University of Chicago. 'Things like noise, blockage of ordinary uses of the place, blockage of traffic and destruction of property allow the government to regulate speakers.'

"Stone gave a few examples of impeding ordinary usage: disturbing patients at a hospital, preventing students from going to school, or, more relevant for the Occupy movement, disrupting the flow of traffic for a long period of time."http://wamu.org

"... protesters said they planned to get arrested by pushing their way onto the bridge at 8 a.m."Occupy Oregon

"New York City police handed out notices from Brookfield Office Properties, owner of Zuccotti Park, and the city saying that the park had to be cleared because it had become unsanitary and hazardous. Protesters were told they could return in several hours, but without sleeping bags, tarps or tents." Occupy Wall Street

  

Posted: 12:30 PM Nov 14, 2011

Cities Struggle To Deal With Occupy Movement

Police arrest 32 as they clear downtown Occupy Oakland camp.

Reporter: CNN Posted By Doug Brown
San Francisco (CNN) -- Police in riot gear moved into the Occupy Oakland encampment early Monday, tearing down tents and arresting some protesters, the latest effort by city officials across the country to gain control over a movement that some leaders say has become a public safety and health threat.

Oakland, California, police, aided by dozens of officers from nearby jurisdictions, arrested 32 people in the effort to clear Frank Ogawa Plaza near City Hall before dawn Monday, Interim Chief Howard Jordan said. There were no reports of injuries or complaints of abuse, he said.

The camp had become an unbearable drain on city resources, an economic threat to nearby businesses and a danger to public safety, Mayor Jean Quan said.

"The encampment became a place where we had repeated violence and this week a murder. We had to bring the camp to an end before more people were hurt," she said.

The developments in Oakland come amid rising concern from city officials around the country that the protests drain resources and threaten public health. What started as the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York in September has spread across cities worldwide as a call to action against unequal distribution of wealth and other issues.

In Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter said Sunday that what started as a peaceful protest 39 days ago has given way to increasing public safety and public health concerns.

"Occupy Philly has changed," Nutter said. "We're seeing serious health and safety issues playing out on an almost daily basis. ... The people of Occupy Philly have also changed and their intentions have changed. And all of this is not good for Philadelphia."

A woman reported she was sexually assaulted Saturday night in a tent at the encampment, Nutter said. CNN affiliate WPVI reported a suspect was arrested in the alleged assault.

The mayor also cited the threat of fire near historic City Hall and concerns about litter, public urination, defecation and graffiti.

Numerous reports of thefts and assaults in the encampment have been made, and 15 emergency medical runs were made between October 6 and November 11, he said.

Protesters are also blocking a planned $50 million renovation at Dilworth Plaza, where they are camping, threatening jobs of workers on the project, Nutter said.

The protesters are "purposely standing in the way of nearly 1,000 jobs for Philadelphians at a time of high unemployment," Nutter said. "They are blocking Philadelphians from taking care of their families."

"We have things we need to do," Nutter said. "I understand that they have things on their mind as Americans and wish to express their free speech. I understand that, I get that, I've defended that. The things we're talking about, the activities that are going on, are not about free speech. They're public health and public safety concerns that have nothing to do with Wall Street and corporations."

In Oregon, Portland police made more than 50 arrests Sunday as they cleared two parks -- Chapman and Lownsdale Square -- of protesters.

Police called in reinforcements from surrounding jurisdictions, and more than 300 officers took part in the sweep -- which went off without incident, authorities said.

In Denver, police arrested three protesters on Sunday, a day after taking 17 people into custody in a dispute over clearing furniture and tents that city officials said were blocking a right of way.

Police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, arrested six people and issued four citations for remaining in a park past curfew Sunday night, Officer Jason Willingham said.

In Salt Lake City, police said on Twitter that 19 people were arrested Saturday night as authorities moved in to clear an Occupy Salt Lake encampment at a downtown park.

Police had ordered protesters to leave the park after a man was found dead late Thursday night. The cause of death was thought to be carbon monoxide poisoning and a drug overdose, CNN affiliate KSTU reported.

"We can no longer tolerate individuals camping on our streets," Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank told reporters.

Since camping began at the park, "local law enforcement has responded to a dramatically increased amount of criminal activity in the park and has made over 90 arrests in the area since early October," Mayor Ralph Becker's office said in a statement.

City officials said that protests would be allowed, but not camping.

In Nashville, authorities dismissed charges against 55 Occupy protesters who had been given trespassing citations. The protesters had been demonstrating at the state Capitol grounds.

The prosecutor in the case asked that the charges be dismissed, and the judge agreed, Tennessee General Sessions Court administrator Warner Hassell said.

The Oakland operation will likely cost the city between $300,000 and $500,000, City Administrator Deanna Santana said.

City officials planned to clean up the plaza and reopen it to protests by Monday evening.

Jordan said city officials will enforce a ban on camping in the park with an around-the-clock police presence. But he said peaceful demonstrators would be allowed to remain at the site around the clock, if they wished, so long as they don't bring tents, sleeping bags or other "lodging equipment."

"If you're not breaking the laws, we're not concerned about your presence," he said.

The plaza was one of two Occupy camps in the city. The other, at Snow Park, remained standing Monday. Jordan said police would not move against that camp on Monday, but added it could be dismantled later.
read more atStruggle To Deal With "Occupy Movement"

Florida Judge Orders "Prior Restraint" — one of the most oppressive forms of censorship

Judge's order bans jury pamphlets, sparking free-speech debate

Distribution of pamphlets or leaflets designed to influence jurors banned at Orange, Osceola courthouses

February 04, 2011|By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel

A court order signed this week prohibits the distribution of pamphlets or leaflets meant to influence jurors outside the Orange and Osceola courthouses.

The administrative order, signed by Chief Judge Belvin Perry on Monday, has sparked a fresh free-speech debate that could lead to legal challenges, questioning whether the order amounts to a "prior restraint" or a form of censorship.

The issue stems from representatives of the national nonprofit organization Fully Informed Jury Association distributing what they call jury "education" information outside the Orange County Courthouse.

The documents, aimed at sitting or potential jurors, advised that jury members may vote their conscience. The pamphlets also indicate members cannot be forced to obey a "juror's oath" and that individuals have the right to "hang" a jury if they do not agree with others on the panel.

Perry decided not to comment directly on the controversy, opting to let his order speak for itself.

That order says a "restriction upon expressive conduct and the dissemination of leaflets and other materials containing written information tending to influence summoned jurors as they enter the courthouse is necessary to serve the state's compelling interest in protecting the integrity of the jury system."

Perry's order notes that one judge in the Ninth Circuit covering Orange and Osceola determined that a jury panel had been "tampered with" after discovering members had the leaflets "containing information attempting to influence the jury."

Roger Roots, an attorney and member of FIJA's advisory board, said the nonprofit is actively seeking legal representation in Florida to see whether a challenge to Perry's order can or should be mounted.

"Chief Judge Perry's order is what is known as prior restraint — one of the most oppressive forms of censorship," Roots said in a statement sent to the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday. "The fact that the courthouse is an important public building where one would expect people to be free to advocate and speak about matters of the public interest makes Judge Perry's order especially suspect."

Perry's order says people engaging in the conduct he described may be in violation of Florida Statutes involving jury tampering and obstruction of justice, and may be found in contempt of court and face fines, jail time or both. It says that if deputies find people on the courthouse grounds engaging in the distribution of information described, they are to provide a copy of the order and instruct the individuals to "cease and desist immediately."

A letter addressed to Perry, Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi was posted on FIJA's website and sent to the Orlando Sentinel.

The letter, written by FIJA executive director Iloilo Marguerite Jones, cites a memo from another Florida judge allowing such handouts in a jury assembly room. Jones says "a contradiction of the law is evident" and asks for clarification. It also asks if impeachment proceedings against Perry will be instituted "or will you allow him to continue in his unlawful actions while serving as government representative of justice for the State of Florida?"

When asked directly during an interview if FIJA members would test Perry's order, Roots said he could not say for sure, but the organization advises people, "Don't get arrested."

He argued that the FIJA leaflets actually promote the integrity of the judicial system. "FIJA doesn't hand out any false information," he said. "It may hand out information that is contested."

In any case, Roots said the controversy in Orange may lead to a high-level legal challenge. While other FIJA members have been arrested in the past, Roots was not aware of another court order directed at the group's efforts.

"It might be a test case," he said. "Four years from now, that order may be argued before the Supreme Court."

Mark Schmidter, a 64-year-old local roofing contractor, said he had distributed FIJA materials outside the courthouse since September. Asked if he would be back again on Monday handing them out, he said: "Hell no! Mama didn't raise no fool."

If it comes to testing the case, an expert in civil disobedience will be brought in to defy the order, said Schmidter, a self-described Libertarian.

Asked how he felt about not being able to promote a cause he believes in, Schmidter said, "It feels great because now we can put on the front burner how bad this legal system is and how biased it is."

Anthony Colarossi can be reached at acolarossi@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5447.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-02-04/news/os-court-jury-pamphlet-ban-20110204_1_jurors-jury-order/2