ACLJ Files Suit in Federal Court to Challenge Denver's ''Cease and Desist'' Order Limiting Prayer Meetings in a Private Home.VIRGINIA BEACH Virginia Beach, resort city (1990 pop. 393,069), independent and in no county, SE Va., on the Atlantic coast; inc. 1906. In 1963, Princess Anne co. and the former small town of Virginia Beach were merged, giving the present city an area of 302 sq mi (782 sq km). , Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 1999-- The American Center The American Center is a high-rise tower in Southfield, Michigan. It was built in 1975 and stands at 26 floors, with one basement floor, for a total of 27. The building's main use is that of a typical office tower. It also includes a parking garage and retail spaces. for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm, today filed suit in U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado against the City and County of Denver on behalf of a Denver couple who has been ordered to limit the number of prayer meetings they hold in their private residence to one per month. "This is an example of religious hostility at its worst," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ ACLJ American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (Washington, DC) , which represents the couple. "The City has trampled on the First Amendment rights of our clients and has enacted an order that is not only unconstitutional but absurd. We have taken this issue to federal court and will aggressively challenge the city's 'cease and desist' order and its zoning ordinance." The ACLJ represents David and Diane Reiter of Denver who began holding weekly meetings for prayer and fellowship in their private home in March 1998. In October 1998, a zoning specialist for the City of Denver
In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Denver today, the ACLJ contends that the action taken by the City of Denver violates the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments Fourteenth Amendment, addition to the U.S. Constitution, adopted 1868. The amendment comprises five sections. Section 1 Section 1 of the amendment declares that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are American citizens and citizens and contends the action violates both federal and state law. Sekulow said: "The city officials made it clear to our clients -- if they were having a weekly book club at their home instead of a prayer meeting, there would be no problem. This is clearly hostility toward people of faith. Our clients are being singled out because they want to pray and meet in their own home. This action is an inexcusable violation of their privacy and is unconstitutional." The lawsuit requests that the court declare the City's action unconstitutional and requests a preliminary and permanent injunction permanent injunction n. a final order of a court that a person or entity refrain from certain activities permanently or take certain actions (usually to correct a nuisance) until completed. striking down the "cease and desist" order against the Reiters. At the same time, the lawsuit contends that the Reiters have complied with noise, parking, and traffic requirements in their residential neighborhood. The ACLJ is being assisted in this case by Denver attorney Robert A. Lees. The American Center for Law and Justice is an international public interest law firm and educational organization that defends the First Amendment rights of people of faith. The ACLJ specializes in pro-family, pro-life, and pro-liberty cases. The ACLJ is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area in the Commonwealth of Virginia, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is the most populous city in Virginia and the 41st largest city in the United States, with an estimated and its Web site is www.aclj.org. |
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