City subpoenas sermons in equal rights case

[Draggingtree]

Houston Chronicle :

City subpoenas sermons in equal rights case

By Katherine Driessen

October 14, 2014 | Updated: October 14, 2014 10:11pm

 

Houston's embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the conservative Christian activists who have sued the city.

 

Opponents of the equal rights ordinance are hoping to force a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January, claiming City Attorney David Feldman wrongly determined they had not gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

 

City attorneys issued subpoenas last month as part of the case's discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."

 

 

[Draggingtree]

Even in Houston, Texas, You Will Be Made to Care

By: Erick Erickson (Diary) | October 15th, 2014 at 04:30 AM

 

Houston, TX is not thought of as a bastion of liberalism, but it has gone quite rapidly off the deep end.

 

Earlier this year, Houston’s City Council voted on non-discrimination legislation that provides equal protection to the entire swath of the BLTGCZQDLMAO alphabet silliness. In short, if a guy decides he’s a girl and wants to go hang out in the girl’s bathroom, it is a-okay in Houston, or it would be except the law will not be enforced pending a court challenge.

http://www.redstate.com/2014/10/15/even-in-houston-texas-you-will-be-made-to-care/

[Draggingtree]

HOUSTON TO PASTORS: TURN OVER YOUR SERMONS

Soon after Houston passed a ‘non-discrimination’ ordinance, it has ordered dissenting pastors to submit their sermons for legal review. So, what? http://thefederalist.com/2014/10/15/houston-to-pastors-turn-over-your-sermons/

 

 

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[Geee]

Sorry @Draggintree. didn't mean to duplicate your post

[Draggingtree]

Houston subpoenas local pastors for their sermons Oct 15, 2014 5:08 AM by Ed Morrissey

Wait, what?

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/10/15/houston-subpoenas-local-pastors-for-their-sermons/

[Draggingtree]

Sorry @Draggintree. didn't mean to duplicate your post

I know that -- we all do at times

[Draggingtree]

The Volokh Conspiracy

 

Houston mayor criticizes city lawyers’ subpoenas of sermons

 

By Eugene Volokh October 15 at 2:24 PM

 

 

From Jacob Gershman (Wall Street Journal Law Blog):

 

Janice Evans, a city spokeswoman, told Law Blog in a statement:

Mayor Parker agrees with those who are concerned about the city legal department’s subpoenas for pastor’s sermons. The subpoenas were issued by pro bono attorneys helping the city prepare for the trial regarding the petition to repeal the new Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) in January.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/10/15/houston-mayor-criticizes-city-lawyers-subpoenas-of-sermons/

[Draggingtree]

Mayor, city attorney distance themselves from sermon subpoenas

 

By Katherine Driessen | October 15, 2014 | Updated: October 15, 2014 4:40pm

 

Amid outrage from religious groups, Mayor Annise Parker and City Attorney David Feldman on Wednesday appeared to back off a subpoena request for the sermons of certain ministers opposed to the city's equal rights ordinance, with Parker calling it overly broad.

 

The subpoenas, handed down to five pastors and religious leaders last month, came to light this weekwhen attorneys for the group of pastors filed a motion to quash the request. Though Feldman stood behind the subpoena in an interview Tuesday, he and Parker said during the Mayor's weekly press conference Wednesday that the wording was problematic.

 

http://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Parker-calls-ERO-sermon-supboeana-overly-broad-5824816.php

[Draggingtree]

Christians Can’t Accept Houston’s Intimidation Tactics Without Protest

 

y Mollie Hemingway OCTOBER 16, 2014

Earlier this year, the City Council passed a law regarding rights related to sexual and gender identity. Mayor Annise Parker has made support for this law — the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance — a major part of her administration. A petition drive to repeal the ordinance — with more than 50,000 signatures, and only 17,259 required — was disallowed by Parker and the city attorney. Some of the Houston citizens sued over the matter and the city responded by subpoenaing emails and sermons from five pastors who are not party to the lawsuit but were involved in the petition drive.

 

http://thefederalist.com/2014/10/16/christians-must-fight-houstons-attack-on-freedom-of-speech/

[Draggingtree]

Houston, We Have a (Free Speech) Problem

By ROD DREHER • October 15, 2014, 5:53 AM

Annise Parker, Houston's openly gay mayor (Ed Uthman/Flickr)

Uh, what?! From the Houston Chronicle:

Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the conservative Christian activists that have sued the city.

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/houston-sermons-homosexuality-free-speech/