Pro-life activist arrested outside abortion clinic claims First Amendment violation
A pro-life activist was detained by police outside of an abortion clinic in Ohio, with critics claiming that the incident was a violation of his First Amendment rights.
Zack Knotts was detained and charged with disorderly conduct by the Cuyahoga Falls police after using a megaphone outside of the Northeast Ohio Women’s Center in Cuyahoga Falls.
According to the pro-life organization Live Action, his citation stated that he “did knowingly generate noise by means of a megaphone causing [inconvenience] and alarm to passersby at the Women’s Clinic.”
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In comments emailed to Live Action, Knotts claimed that he was “unlawfully detained and charged” because he was “peacefully preaching the Gospel outside an abortion clinic on a public sidewalk.”
“The charge was based on the claim that my preaching ‘annoyed’ passerby’s [sic], which is an entirely subjective basis for restricting free speech,” Knotts continued.
“This action was taken despite my clear constitutional right to free speech and religious expression, and we firmly believe it violates my First and Fourth Amendment rights.”
The local ordinance Knotts was reportedly arrested for violating was ordinance 509.03 (a) (6), which defines an aspect of "disorderly conduct" as “Generating or, being the owner or person in possession or control of a vehicle or premises by reason of employment, agency, or otherwise, permitting to be generated unreasonable noise or loud sound which is likely to cause inconvenience or annoyance to persons of ordinary sensibilities by means of a radio, phonograph, television, tape player, loudspeaker or any other sound amplifying device or by any horn, drum, piano or other musical or percussion instrument.”
Knotts believes the ordinance “has no objective standard and allows for enforcement based purely on personal annoyance, which the Supreme Court has consistently ruled as unconstitutional.”
At his first court appearance last week, Knotts pleaded not guilty. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, reports The Daily Signal.
The Christian Post reached out to the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department on Tuesday to get their perspective on this story. A response is still pending.
