Satanist Charged for Trespassing and Resisting Arresting After Prayer Protest at Government Meeting

Satanist Found Guilty of Resisting Arrest and Trespassing While Protesting Government Prayer

Satanist Charged for Trespassing and Resisting Arresting After Prayer Protest at Government Meeting
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Suhor is a known church-state separation champion.

David Suhor, an activist of separation between church and state, was charged on counts of trespassing and resisting arrest[/tweetit] after he protested the chanting of Christian prayers at the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) meeting. The ECUA is a premier public serving organization in Florida. Suhor identifies himself as a Satanist.

Satanist Found Guilty of Resisting Arrest and Trespassing Protesting Government Prayer Meeting[/tweetthis]

Suhor has a case. Only board members of the ECUA are permitted to pray during meetings, a direct contravention of U.S. laws, where members of a non-legislative body are restricted by national laws when it comes to praying. Secular organizations have protested this anomaly, and as a result, Chairperson Benson of the ECUA moved the prayer to before Call to Order. This was done to keep up the pretense that such prayers were unofficial, and thus cannot be subjected to legal inclusion and scrutiny. Since these are non-official, such events are not included in public records.

Suhor understood what the ECUA board members were trying to do. He reasoned that since the meeting will officially begin only after prayer, then he could interrupt the prayer service as his actions will not stop the government business. To achieve this end, he started to chant "Hare Krishna" prior to the invocation of the Christian prayers. The authority subsequently called a security guard who tried to expel the activist from the meeting area. The police officer tried to forcibly move him on grounds of disturbance causation. Suhor did not budge from his activity and position in the room. He told the board members that his chanting will stop as soon as the meeting begins. The commissioners did that and he sat down. The commissioners immediately recessed for prayer, meaning they took a break from work to invoke the Almighty.

Suhor then uses logic and gets back to chanting. The county attorney asked him to leave the room as he was allegedly disturbing the proceedings. The activist was then forcibly escorted out of the room and not allowed back again. Suhor then attended another meeting and when he was asked to leave, he did not exit quietly.

Suhor was subsequently arrested on charges of resisting arrest and trespassing. A judge ruled on this issue, proclaiming that the activist is to be deemed guilty in both instances. Suhor was then slapped with a $700 fine, 25 hours of service to the community, three hours probation, and there is now a criminal record in his name. Funds are being raised to cover his expenses. 

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