Pastor jailed for invoking God's wrath to get bail

[Ghost in the Machine]

Pastor jailed for invoking God's wrath to get bail
Published: 12/11/08, 3:25 PM EDT
By JAMES PRICHARD

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A community activist who ran for Congress from prison, where he had been sent for warning that a judge could be tortured by God, can post bond while he appeals his conviction, an appeals court has ruled.

After being convicted and sentenced to probation in 2007 for paying people to vote in a Benton Harbor recall election, Edward Pinkney wrote an article in a small Chicago newspaper saying the judge who handled the case could be punished by God with curses, fever and "extreme burning" unless he changed his ways.

Another judge considered the article a threat and sentenced Pinkney to three to 10 years in prison for violating his probation. Pinkney, who says he's a Baptist minister, and his attorneys say he was only paraphrasing some Bible verses from the book of Deuteronomy.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed an appeal, saying his comments were protected under the First Amendment and that he was wrongly imprisoned. It also urged the Michigan Court of Appeals to release Pinkney on bond while the court considers the appeal of his sentence.

http://my.att.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=7434&eeid=6267244&_sitecat=1522&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=-2&ck=&ch=ne

I almost find it a little troubling that the guy was locked up for what he said... it almost sets a precendent... can we start having christians arrested when they tell us we're "going to burn in hell for eternity"??

[TomInTib]

1. There has been precedent set.

Remember the guy who made the "Burning Bus" comment and did time for it?

[Turbineguy]

2. "Do not test the Lord, thy God"

Another christian who needs to read his Bible.

[Warpy]

3. He should have been sentenced to tax

instead of jail, but the powers that be don't want to set that precedent.

[Ikonoklast]

4. Fine, I'll just issue threats at will, and hide behind the Bible.

My religion says I can threaten and curse you all I want.

The law may not agree, however.

[Crunchy Frog]

5. Threatening a judge is probably not the smartest tactic.

Just as a general rule of thumb. :shrug:

[FiveGoodMen]

6. The last thing I generally want to do is defend a preacher...

But...

If the threats were confined to what God would do to the judge -- as opposed to being a suggestion of what his followers might want to do -- then I don't think it should be held against him, legally anyway.

Or does the second judge believe that God might act on the reverend's prompting? (In which case, the judge is pretty nuts!)

[bobd0]

8. IMO, it's the Christian version of, and equvalent to a Fatwa.

And we know where that leads. He's not one of us. He's outside The Church. He's evil. Then it's open season for another one of their "lone gunmen".

Why is it that when political violence is perpetrated here it's always by a "lone gunman" but when it happens "over there" it's always "al Qaeda"?

[varkam]

7. Maybe hold in him contempt , maybe give him 30 days to contemplate...

the fact that the judge has authority over him.

But 3 to 10 years? Jesus H Tapdancing Christ, that's a little overboard.