Lay, Freeman found not guilty

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Lay, Freeman found not guilty

Posted: 9/18/2009 4:15:00 AM EDT

Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert
Freeman were beaming when they emerged from the federal courthouse
Thursday evening after a judge acquitted them of contempt charges.

U.S.
District Judge Casey Rodgers ruled that they did not intentionally
violate a federal court order prohibiting school officials from leading
prayer in school when they offered a blessing at an athletic banquet.

"Above
all I want to thank chief counsel, God the father, God the son and God
the Holy Spirit," Lay told a cheering crowd of some 1,000 supporters
who had maintained a vigil outside the courthouse throughout the rainy
day.

Rodgers, who
had instigated the criminal contempt charges against Lay and Freeman,
ended up deciding that the government did not prove beyond a reasonable
doubt that they intended to violate the court order.

Lay
asked Freeman to bless the food at an athletic banquet at the Pace High
School fieldhouse just nine days after Rodgers issued a Jan. 19
temporary injunction that ordered School District employes to stop
proselytizing.

After
years of trying to convince Lay and the School District to discontinue
the practice, the American Civil Liberties Union had filed a lawsuit on
behalf of two students.

[div]Testifying
in his own defense, Freeman called his recitation of the blessing a
"reflex," something he has done around dinner tables and before meals
his whole life.

[div]If he had known it was a violation of the law, he said, he would have declined.

[div]"I know he would not knowingly ask me to violate this injunction," he said of Lay, a longtime friend.

[div]Lay, too, said that his asking of Freeman to say the prayer was nothing more than an old habit.

[div]"That's just something that we had done throughout the years," he said.

[div]If they had been convicted, Lay and Freeman could have faced jail times or fines. They also could have lost their pensions.

[div]A legal defense fund set up by supporters garnered nearly $70,000 in contributions.

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The courtroom was fully packed with some 100 spectators all day Thursday.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090918/NEWS01/909180338&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Posted: 9/18/2009 4:53:24 AM EDT

[#1]

This received plenty of attention when everyone thought the arrest was good.

Posted: 9/18/2009 4:54:45 AM EDT

[#2]

Nevermind, wrong case.

Posted: 9/18/2009 5:30:54 AM EDT

[#3]

There is a God.

Posted: 9/18/2009 5:37:55 AM EDT

[#4]

Good, sounds like the men made a mistake and this experience will drive home what the law is.

Hopefully they don't have any more violations.

Posted: 9/18/2009 6:42:05 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Good, sounds like the men made a mistake and this experience will drive home what the law is.

Hopefully they don't have any more violations.

I wonder if the ACLU would be as vigorous about having them prosecuted if they were throwing a prayer rug down and bowing to Mecca at the appointed times.

Posted: 9/18/2009 6:51:33 AM EDT

[#6]

Downtown Pensacola was packed yesterday morning with supporters carrying signs.

As I had zero idea of who they were or what their purpose was, I only had their demeanor and behavior to make a guess- Gentlemen in three piece suits, ladies in proper attire, and no tramp stamps were in evidence.
I thus figured that the gathering had nothing to do with support for any: DNC, socialist, or sodomite agenda.

Posted: 9/18/2009 9:52:24 AM EDT

[#7]

Frank Lay is a very personal and close friend of mine and you could not ask for a better friend, school administrator, and American citizen. Neither of them were trying to go against previous judgment, they were asking a blessing before a meal. They do it in House, the Senate, and it was not school function were children or normal involved. I know Frank and I know what he intentions were not! We go to the same church together and my wife is related to him. He and his family are great people. This was all in an attempt by the ACLU to once again take way or religious freedoms. The whole thing of separation of church and state is so out of hand and is being used against religious freedoms. Do I think that kids should be forced to pray in school... No. But I don't see ANYTHING wrong with someone asking a blessing before a meal with kids are present or not! It is not FORCING anyone's religion on another person and it is totally ridiculous to try and make that case! I have a suggestion... let those that want too be able to send their tax dollars to go to schools of choice instead of government run schools that push the religion of evolution, global warming and socialism on our children. Now there is where we could us a law separating that crap from the state and our children!

Posted: 9/18/2009 12:26:27 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Good, sounds like the men made a mistake and this experience will drive home what the law is.

Hopefully they don't have any more violations.

I wonder if the ACLU would be as vigorous about having them prosecuted if they were throwing a prayer rug down and bowing to Mecca at the appointed times.

The ACLU didn't prosecute them and didn't think they should face jail time over the incident.

So probably about the same. Sorry to spoil your preconceptions.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Lay, Freeman found not guilty

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