African American Pastor Found Guilty After Being Prosecuted Under Unconstitutional City Ordinance
Late yesterday the Rev. Walter Hoye of Berkeley, California was found guilty of unlawfully approaching abortion clinic patients and staff at a clinic in Oakland. Rev. Hoye is the plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance under which he was prosecuted.
On May 13, 2008, subsequent to the filing of the lawsuit challenging the ordinance, Rev. Hoye was arrested for allegedly violating the newly enacted law. Rev. Hoye is an African-American pastor who feels a special calling to work for the end of the genocide-by-abortion taking place in the African-American community. As part of his efforts, he stands in front of an abortion clinic in Oakland with leaflets offering abortion alternatives and a sign reading, "Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help."
Despite the video tape the defense presented at trial showing that prosecution witnesses conjured up phantom patients whom Rev. Hoye had allegedly harassed, as well as claiming that he threatened two escorts and the clinic director, the jury rendered the guilty verdict.
"This is a miscarriage of justice and we will appeal this verdict. After speaking with several jurors after the verdict was read, it is clear that the court's failure and out right refusal to instruct the jury regarding the key elements of the crime led to the erroneous conviction of Rev. Hoye," commented Allison Aranda, Staff Counsel for Life Legal Defense Foundation, who is representing Rev. Hoye
For more details about the inconsistencies of the testimony given during trial go to www.lldf.org.
Contact: Dana Cody
Source: Life Legal Defense Foundation
Source URL: http://www.lldf.org
Publish Date: January 16, 2009
Link to this article:
http://www.ifrl.org/ifrl/news/090119_5.htm
