Soothsaying Ordinance Tossed Out
Wednesday October 8, 2008
Remember Cliff Eakin, the Wiccan shop owner who challenged an "anti-soothsaying" law in Livingston Parish, Louisiana? Even the parish council's attorney, Blayne Honeycutt, said he thought the parish would lose a lawsuit. Well, Honeycutt was right -- maybe he's been doing some soothsaying of his own, because a federal judge in the case has ruled the ordinance is unconstitutional.
Judge James J. Brady said that under the First Amendment, the government isn't allowed to "prohibit the expression of an idea just because society finds the idea disagreeable." Brady also said the argument of the ordinance being necessary to prevent fraud doesn't hold water, and he added that "people who defraud others using fortunetelling methods should be prosecuted under laws prohibiting fraud, not under an ordinance that infringes on people’s spiritual beliefs."
Judge James J. Brady said that under the First Amendment, the government isn't allowed to "prohibit the expression of an idea just because society finds the idea disagreeable." Brady also said the argument of the ordinance being necessary to prevent fraud doesn't hold water, and he added that "people who defraud others using fortunetelling methods should be prosecuted under laws prohibiting fraud, not under an ordinance that infringes on people’s spiritual beliefs."
Comments
Yay!!! score one for our side!!!! =)
And just when i thought the entire world had gone mad.
I am heartned by news such as this, it is good to know there are still those who uphold the rights of people in this country.
It’s about time. Really. How ridiculous that this was even something that they deemed worthy of spending so much time and money on. I can’t believe in this day and age that we still have to fight for the rights that are suppose to be our birthright. They don’t have to agree with our religion they just have to realize that we have the same rights as everyone else. Thank The Goddess the Judge had some sense and handed down the verdict based on the law and not on bias alone.Way to go Cliff and everyone involved. Thank you for continuing the GOOD fight.