And again, Christians must resort to civil courts to protect themselves from bad cops

From WorldNetDaily...

The Florida Family Policy Council said it has filed the federal action seeking a judgment against Broward County and Sunrise police officer Sgt. Stephen Allen for violations of the civil rights of volunteers working last summer for the Florida4Marriage amendment.

"We have the highest regard for the law enforcement officers in this state who lay down their lives to protect us every day. But we are simply not going to be discriminated against because certain bad cops do not like our message," said John Stemberger, the president and general counsel of the group, who personally was threatened with arrest by Allen over the issue. "This was a blatant violation of the First Amendment."

I covered the original story here.

Here is an excerpt from the actual lawsuit...

Since 2005, FLORIDA FAMILY POLICY COUNCIL, through its agents and volunteers, has regularly engaged in the distribution of free literature, including a petition to support a state marriage amendment (hereinafter “petition”), at public and private venues throughout Florida. Mr. Stemberger, in his individual capacity and as President of FLORIDA FAMILY POLICY COUNCIL, has routinely engaged in the distribution of free literature, including the petition at issue herein, at public and private venues throughout Florida.

For many months, Plaintiffs openly and without incident or controversy engaged in the distribution of free literature, including the petition at issue herein, at public and private venues throughout Florida.

On June 3, 2006, for the first time ever, Plaintiffs were confronted with resistance to their practice of engaging in the distribution of free literature, including the petition at issue herein, at a public venue in Florida....

On June 3, 2006, at approximately 1:20 PM, Mr. Stemberger was inside the Bank Atlantic Center when he received a call from Mr. Nathan Dunn (hereinafter “Mr. Dunn”) who stated that officers of the Sunrise Police Department were confiscating Plaintiffs’ petition.

On June 3, 2006, when Mr. Stemberger arrived at the Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table, he was informed by Mr. Dunn that Sunrise police officers told Plaintiffs’ volunteers that they were prohibited from engaging in the distribution of the petition and that officers had confiscated the petitions which were sitting on clip boards at Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table.

On June 3, 2006, Mr. Stemberger asked another Sunrise officer to please call the duty officer – SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN – to the scene so that he could speak with him directly.

On June 3, 2006, when SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN arrived at Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table, Mr. Stemberger first confirmed that SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN was the duty officer. Mr. Stemberger then asked SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN if he had ordered Plaintiffs’ volunteers to stop distributing the petition at Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table.

On June 3, 2006, SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN affirmed that he did order Plaintiffs’ volunteers to stop distributing the petition at Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table. Mr. Stemberger then asked SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN what law, ordinance or legal authority was being violated by the display, distribution and collection of the petition. In response, SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN ignored Mr. Stemberger’s request for legal authority and unbelievably started ranting and lecturing Mr. Stemberger and others present on “Jesus' lack of mentioning homosexuality in the New Testament” and that the petition effort was a “waste of time” and other such arguments. Mr. Stemberger told SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN that he did not want to discuss theology, but wanted to know the legal authority SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN was relying upon. SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN refused to calmly discuss the supposed law that was being violated and then proclaimed that “he was the authority” and “the Bible says that Christians should obey the authorities”.

On June 3, 2006, Plaintiffs obtained photographs taken during the confiscation including a photograph of SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN and Officer M. Allard who mocked the Plaintiffs by appearing to kiss each other after they confiscated the petitions from Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table.

On June 3, 2006, three or four other Sunrise officers backed up SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN at the site. After extensively expressing his personal views on gay marriage and the Bible, SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN finally stated to Mr. Stemberger that the Bank Atlantic Center did not allow Plaintiffs to collect petitions. Mr. Stemberger asked SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN to produce written proof of such a policy. Mr. Stemberger also explained that Plaintiffs were present on the property as an authorized Exhibitor. SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN refused to provide the policy or legal authority or any of the documentation requested by Mr. Stemberger. SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN continued to argue “theological” issues with Mr. Stemberger and then asked one of Plaintiffs’ volunteers if she knew “how many books of the Bible” there were. SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN also asked us “why you don’t go feed hungry children because this is not doing anything good.”

On June 3, 2006, when security and event officials arrived on the scene, they also explained to SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN that the event organizers had leased the entire Bank Atlantic Center property for the event; that Plaintiffs were authorized to be there; and that the petitions were authorized to be distributed at Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table. SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN continued to argue theological issues with the security officials for the event.

On June 3, 2006, Mr. Stemberger also tried to explain to SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN that Mr. Stemberger was an attorney and practiced constitutional law and SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN was violating Plaintiffs’ rights. SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN accused Mr. Stemberger of lying about his profession and said, “You are not a lawyer”. Mr. Stemberger then provided SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN with his firm business card. SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN laughed and called Mr. Stemberger an “ambulance chaser”. At all times during Mr. Stemberger’s encounter with SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN, SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN constantly interrupted Mr. Stemberger, refused to allow Mr. Stemberger to speak freely, consistently acted unreasonably, unprofessionally and SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN refused to allow Mr. Stemberger to explain why SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN’s actions were unconstitutional and why Plaintiffs had the legal right to be there and distribute the petition.

On June 3, 2006, in light of SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN’s failure to provide Mr. Stemberger with any policy or documentation of Plaintiffs’ alleged volition of the law, Mr. Stemberger personally placed the petitions SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN had removed back onto Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table in public view. Mr. Stemberger then demanded that SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN produce the legal basis for his order to confiscate the petitions. Mr. Stemberger again tried to explain legal precedent to SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN and that Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights were being violated, but SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN continued to interrupt Mr. Stemberger with abusive and irrelevant personal remarks. At the height of the confrontation, SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN told Mr. Stemberger that he would be arrested if the petitions were not immediately removed from Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table. Mr. Stemberger then stood in between the petitions on Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table and SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN and told him that he had no legal authority and he was in violation of the United States Constitution and he would have to arrest Mr. Stemberger because the petitions were going to stay on Plaintiffs’ Exhibitor table....

On October 23, 2006, Internal Affairs Lt. William Glennon of the City of Sunrise, Florida, Police Department issued a letter to Mr. Stemberger stating that the allegations against SERGEANT STEPHEN ALLEN were sustained....

Plaintiffs have no adequate remedy at law at this time to correct the continuing deprivations of their most cherished constitutional liberties.