Favorably Settles 1st Amendment Lawsuit Against NYPD
NEW YORK - Mar. 31, 2009 - City Hall was brought to heel last week by Mayoral Candidate and televangelist gadfly Reverend Billy Talen, as they paid out $23,000.00 to settle the wrongful arrest of the Rev in Union Square in June 2007.
The First Amendment-violating arrest, which occurred while Talen was actually reciting the 45 words of the First Amendment, received coverage in the world press including Europe, Russia and China. The New York Times, among many news outlets, quoted Civil liberties lawyer Norman Siegel's irrefutable assertion that "Reverend Billy has the First Amendment right to recite the First Amendment."
Over 30,000 people have viewed the YouTube footage of the arrest, that occurred within a week of Independence Day when Americans celebrate their country and constitutional freedoms.
Siegel, who represented Talen with co-counsel Earl Ward, argued that Talen should not have been arrested at all. But, to add incarceration to injury, the NYPD held Talen for 22 hours in "The Tombs" below 100 Centre Street, rather than simply issuing a summons from the precinct. This follows the widely noted pattern, since the Giuliani administration and continued under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, of imprisoning protesters overnight. Courts have awarded settlements to hundreds of protesters incarcerated by the New York police in recent years.
Talen is now running for office as the Green Party Candidate for Mayor of New York City. After the settlement, he said "We cannot say that we have changed the policies and violations of American free speech rights that are a hallmark of the Ray Kelly and Mike Bloomberg tenure. We can promise these two leaders that the funds of this settlement will be directly spent by free speech activists, especially at our city" traditional speaker's corner, Union Square Park."
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 1996 Reverend Billy Talen has preached for the renewal of our planet, communities, and personal experiences in response to the homogenizing and destructive forces of Consumerism. As founder and pastor of the Church of Life After Shopping, Reverend Billy has performed this message in contested public space, from the stage, and in international media including CNN American Morning, the New York Times, Fox News, Good Morning America, the CBS Evening News, and the Wall Street Journal.
The Green Party is committed to environmentalism, non-violence, social justice and grassroots organizing, and renewing democracy without the support of corporate donors. Whether the issue is universal health care, alternative energy sources, election reform or living wages for workers, Greens have the courage and independence necessary to take on the powerful corporate interests.
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