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First Amendment Victory in Michigan!By Croton Crier, Section News
After three plus hours of testimony and the agony of parsing definitions, Mr. Vern Verduin of Gaines Township wins the right of Free Speech!
A definitive victory over out of control government.
If the signs advertised his business, the signs could have been twice as big. He was fined for violating the township ordinance after declaring his right to free speech by leaving the signs up. Gaines Township cited Mr. Verduin in an attempt to force him into compliance. After deliberating permanent vs temporary, content based vs content neutral, and debating the definition of vehicular signs, Judge Steven Servaas, 63rd District Court Kent County, declared Gaines Township's sign ordinance unconstitutional "because there is a distinction between commercial and political". The Judge added that the law has to treat commercial and political speech the same. The Township's ordinance allows a bigger sign to sell a product than a political idea. Constitutionally, this ordinance is upside down.
The proper role of government is to protect the rights of the people; one of the most fundamental rights being the First Amendment. As Mr. Howard VanDenHeuvel, the defendent's attorney, states: "Political speech is the most valuable type of speech...and should be given the strictest protections."
Observing those in the courtroom, many people came from around the state. Concerned with the how the court may rule on a foundational liberty issue, five people drove from Newaygo County. More concerned citizens drove from Oceana and Ottawa counties with the majority being from Kent. The courtroom filled with Mr. Verduin's supporters heartily supported the decision. Liberty denied affects citizens everywhere in Michigan as well as across the country. As Mr. VanDenHeuvel says about the township ordinance and Jurisprudence: "How can you have an ordinance that the Judge and the citizenery cannot understand? ...it leads to one person becoming the ruler and telling everyone what is and isn't true, instead of equal protection...that's the danger of what we've got going here...that's government gone wild." After turning to give his wife a thumbs up and warm embrace, Mr. Verduin had this to say about the verdict: "Good for the township, good for the nation". If videos cannot be viewed, go to Newaygo County Watchdog.
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First Amendment Victory in Michigan! | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
First Amendment Victory in Michigan! | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
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Mr. Verduin parked 