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Preacher Sentenced For Demonstrating In Restricted Area

By Howard M. Friedman

Michael A. Marcavage, director of Repent America, was fined $420 and placed on one year's probation after a 2-day bench trial by a magistrate in a Pennsylvania federal court. Today's Wilkes Barre Times Leader and yesterday's Philadelphia Daily News report that Marcavage was charged with violating a verbal permit and interfering with park rangers after demonstrating last October on a sidewalk in Philadelphia near the Liberty Bell. He refused to move his preaching and protest against abortion to a nearby alternative site at Independence National Historical Park. The National Park Service restricted demonstrations on the sidewalk by the Liberty Bell after the 9-11 attacks. Marcavage's attorney, C. Scott Shields, called the sentence a "travesty of justice" and said he would appeal to a district court judge.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on June 15, 2008 (boomark / email).