Seattle pastor arrested for reading the Bible receives monetary damages in court victory
Pastor Matthew Meinecke has won a significant legal battle with First Liberty securing a consent order on his behalf against the city of Seattle, providing him complete relief from wrongful arrests in the summer of 2022.
The legal agreement allows the pastor the freedom to share the Gospel in Seattle without the threat of arrest, coupled with monetary compensation for past grievances and attorneys' fees.
Meinecke’s confrontations with the law originated at a pro-abortion rally in Seattle, where his attempts to read the Bible and distribute religious literature were met with hostility, leading to his arrest on two separate occasions.
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The consent order now conclusively addresses these incidents, acknowledging the undue suppression of his speech and providing a platform for unhindered religious expression.
According to the consent order, the arrests occurred under circumstances where Meinecke was merely exercising his First Amendment rights by vocalizing his religious beliefs, which, despite being peaceful, were met with aggressive reactions from some attendees, including violent Antifa activists.
The subsequent police intervention did not favor Meinecke. Rather than receiving protection, he was instructed to leave the area, culminating in his arrest upon his refusal to leave.
A similar incident unfolded two days later at Seattle Center during the Seattle PrideFest. Despite facing verbal and physical mistreatment, Meinecke’s attempt to engage with the crowd resulted in another arrest when he chose not to leave the public park.
These events led to a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in April, which sided with Meinecke, denouncing the city’s actions as unconstitutional “heckler’s vetoes.” The court held that such restrictions on speech based on audience reaction violate fundamental rights, stating that “a loss of First Amendment freedoms constitutes an irreparable injury.”
Nate Kellum, senior counsel at First Liberty, remarked, “The government should never silence the speech of a citizen just because an audience dislikes what it’s hearing. Pastor Meinecke is thrilled to put this case behind him and get back to sharing the Gospel on the streets of Seattle.”
In a similar case in Reading, Pennsylvania, in June 2023, a street preacher, Damon Atkins, was arrested for preaching from the Bible during an LGBT pride month rally, which also involved a heated exchange with local law enforcement about the public nature of his activities.
Video from the event showed a couple of protesters standing on the opposite side of the street as marchers held LGBT-themed flags while Reading police officers looked on.
Another U.S. street preacher and activist, Rich Penkoski, earlier claimed he was locked out of his Cash App account because the mobile payment service didn't approve of his protests against LGBT events. Penkoski founded the online organization Warriors for Christ and travels the country to protest drag queen and LGBT pride events.
