Sad that it took intervention by a judge to ensure the right to religious expression in Phoenix. (emphasis is mine)
A court in Arizona ruled on Tuesday that a noise ordinance banning churches in Phoenix from ringing their bells is unconstitutional. One pastor was sentenced to jail last year for violating the ordinance, which allowed an exception for ice cream trucks but not for churches.
St. Mark Roman Catholic Parish, First Christian Church, and Christ the King Liturgical Charismatic Church all challenged the ordinance in a lawsuit filed by attorneys from the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) in 2009.
Christ the King Church joined the lawsuit after its pastor, Bishop Rick Painter, was sentenced for ringing his church’s bells, despite making compromises to appease the few local residents who filed complaints. He was given a suspended sentence of 10 days in jail and three years of probation on June 3, 2009.
ADF reported on Tuesday that a federal judge ruled the city of Phoenix could not enforce its noise ordinance to prohibit “sound generated in the course of religious expression.”
