DMV Preaching Case Continues

You may recall the case of the men arrested for refusing to stop preaching to a line of people waiting for a California DMV office to open. The arrests were made last spring and this week a judge refused to dismiss the charges. The preachers have issued a press release. An excerpt:

Initially, when Mr. Mackey was arrested, the CHP officer stated that it was illegal to “preach to a captive audience.“ After the defendants were placed in jail and upon learning that no such penal code prohibits preaching to a ”captive audience,“ the officer issued a citation for ”impeding an open business” with threats or intimidation under Penal Code Section 602.1(b). However, the district attorney again changed the charges claiming trespass after the government realized the business was not actually open and, presumably, saw the video showing no threats or intimidation.

The preachers taped the incident, leading some to believe that the entire event was staged to incite an arrest and thereby create a precedent allowing preaching on government property.