Jews for Jesus allowed to pass out literature

Jews for Jesus allowed to pass out literature

A member of the group Jews for Jesus has been granted a preliminary injunction by a federal court judge, allowing him and his group their right to distribute literature in public -- after the activity resulted in his arrest at a Los Angeles park last year.

Cyril Gordon was arrested by police at Woodley Park after he and several other members began passing out the Jews for Jesus literature at the Israel Independence Day event in 2006, allegedly when a festival organizer made a citizens' arrest of Gordon for trespassing -- according to plaintiff attorney Frederick H. Nelson.

Jews for Jesus filed suit on Gordon's behalf to protect the right of the group to hand out literature at this year's Israel Independence Day event, a right which California U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Collins upheld by granting a preliminary injunction April 2.

Collins ruled that event organizers, employees and volunteers, nor the City of Los Angeles, could interfere with Jews for Jesus' First Amendment rights to pass out religious literature -- more than ten feet away from the entrance to the Festival, and outside of the gate separating the Festival from the rest of Woodley Park.