Rev. Pinkney
The Michigan Court of Appeals has granted an ACLU motion asking that a Benton Harbor, MI minister be freed pending his appeal on charges that he violated probation by criticizing a judge in a Chicago-based newspaper.
The Rev. Edward Pinkney was tossed into prison after the editorial appeared in the People's Tribune quoting scripture that suggested the judge would be cursed. A court ruled that Pinkney's remarks constituted a threat.
Pinkney, who has long crusaded against corruption in the Benton Harbor area was investigating alleged election fraud when he was charged with vote tampering and placed on probation. In response, he quoted scripture in the People's Tribune, implying that God would serve justice on Judge Alfred Butzbaugh. Pinkney, a Baptist minister, predicted that God would “curse” the judge unless he "hearken[ed] unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe [and] to do all that is right." Pinkney also expressed his opinion in the article that the judge was racist, dumb, and corrupt.
Benton Harbor, a largely black city, is separated from neighboring mostly white St. Joseph, Michigan by a river, but the two cities could be light year's apart. Pinkney has long led efforts to end the disparity between the two, a disparity he believes is based on race. He has often accused the Berrien County court system, which presides over both cities, of racism.
Pinkney, who is black, was convicted by an all-white jury.
His case was the subject of a News Talk Online show on Paltalk.com. Many callers expressed outrage that a minister could be jailed for quoting the Bible.
The ACLU argued in its motion for bond pending appeal that the statements Pinkney made in his newspaper editorial, while offensive to many, are clearly protected speech under the First Amendment.
8 comments:
Well Good for the minister, Perhaps He will learn NOT to put curses on People and try to push his brand of fear and condemnation onto others. Especially those with the ability to toss him in Jail.
Not being familiar with the case, I won't even venture to guess whether or not the judge is a racist. That epithet is hurled far too often these days, but clearly Pinkney's rights were violated. Jailing a minister for invoking the wrath of God? Pure pusillanimity! Perhaps Rev. Pinkney believes as I do, that God, who IS the Supreme Judge, has such a marvelous sense of humor that He might curse the little judge with the name Butzbaugh forever - or just curse him with the nose to match it...
Well first to Dumok it doesn't seem to me that the minister was forcing his brand of fear and condemnation on anyone nor cursing anyone. Actually he was using that Judges brand of fear, the same fear in which the court is upheld(God) back onto him. Maybe you should stick to comedy, which I am sure you are no good at as well.
Now straight to the point, we have too many geriatric racist sitting on benches in this country and they all need to be dispelled. Just as we have to much crooked authority criminalizing our streets, killing the children, jailing innocents instead of doing their job by protecting the people. What you have here are power hungry people manipulating rules to their standards and their racist loathing community standing by them until they need something only a Black or Latino face can give. This is typical America. Just another example of the trash in this country.
You can have white ministers all over the television, in the news, in the newspapers denigrating minority communities, attacking minority politicians and even now cursing the President-Elect, but you have to search for those articles or episodes. But criticize a white judge by reminding him of the scripture is now punishable up to a felony? Give me a break!
The court that ruled the Rev. Edward Pinkney's editorial was a threat just proves that you can become a judge without a working knowledge of the English language.
Threat: An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment. This is the first definition listed and therefore the one that is the most important. No where does it imply, from the article listed, that the Reverend would take matters in to his own hands. He simply intimated that a higher power might be a bit miffed at the judge. I wonder what would have happened had he reminded the judge of KARMA.
The most disturbing part of the article is that this was an obvious attempt to silence dissent from the bench.
If I may be so bold, Thank G-d for the ACLU!
Sylvia_Lovejoy
Nice to see the ACLU doing something productive. Unfortunately this man has spent months in jail for condemning the actions of what most likely is a masonic luciferian worshiping corrupt judge. These types have a deep seeded hate of God and anyone preaching his words.
The Rev. will likely spend untold thousands fighting an appeal on a case of a citizen investigating what anyone with two open eyes can see. Is a corrupt voting system nationwide that's being protected by an also corrupt judge and court system. My hope is that God sees that true justice prevails.
Hey Gary;
I guess a couple things surprise me with this story. First off, it's shameful to think a Judge, or anyone else would attack a Pastor just because he was quoting Scripture. Was he correct in what he was saying? That's between the Pastor and his own belief system. But, what angers me is when a Pastor, or any believer, uses the Bible to "call down fire from heaven." The disciples once asked Jesus if they should "call down fire" on a city for a sin, and Jesus quickly said "no"!
Secondly, I'm surprised the ACLU stepped in to help the Pastor. WOW!
All the best!
Dr. Rus
JL: If you read the original article, THe "Pastor" was clearly trying to influence his case by putting a curse on the judge and using "Spiritual" intimidation on the man.
It was clearly a threat, and threatening a Judge SHOULD land you in Jail, whether you are a reverend, a gangster etc. Religious bullying is still bullying no matter how hard you try to justify it. but then again, I would suspect that alot of fundamentalists are not going to understand why putting a curse on a Judge is WRONG! (Unless it is clear that the judge is UNJUST in his rulings.)
This was nothing more than One man's attempt to control a situation that was OUT of his control.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe that the pastor would genuinely attempt to "put a curse" on a judge, or anyone else for that matter. I believe that in this case he was drawing upon his knowledge (be it biblical or otherwise) with which to make a statement in which he believed. I find it even harder to believe that the judge would be intimidated buy quoted scripture, and feel threatened by it. I beleive that most likely for which ever reason, the judge took personal offense to the quote. Was that a valid reason to haave the pastor arrested? In my opinion no. It seems pretty weak to me, and sounds more like a waste of taxpayer's money than the application of justice.
Post a Comment