Judge sued for ordering 'no-speech zones'
Police arrested Christians sharing faith outside courthouse
Posted: October 15, 20051:00 a.m. Eastern

A judge who declared all public areas of Los Angeles County courthouses "no speech zones" has been hit with a federal civil rights lawsuit.

According to the complaint filed Thursday, a general order issued Sept. 13 by California Superior Court Judge William MacLaughlin "prohibits such free speech activities as picketing, distribution of literature, and demonstration."

"The courts are supposed to be protecting our First Amendment rights, not suppressing them," said Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. "This judge's order is a constitutional travesty and has already forced our clients and other law-abiding citizens from engaging in classic, ordinary free speech."
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