Case Name: City of Milwaukee v. David Laur

Type of Case: Free Speech

Court: Milwaukee Municipal Court

Case Number: 13067735

Filed On: August 12, 2013

Current Status: Citation dismissed

The First Amendment protects the right of people to stand on sidewalks and engage in expressive speech – so long as the person isn’t causing a disturbance by, say, blocking pedestrian traffic or using amplification to an obnoxious level.

David Laur, a street preacher, was sharing the gospel next to a sidewalk just outside of Miller Park.  He wasn’t blocking traffic, obstructing views, or using any amplification.  Police officers issued him a citation, which we successfully defended in municipal court.