Chicago Spends Big on Legal Bills to Crush Religious Freedom
Contact: Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations, 312-422-1333,
tc@tcpr.net
CHICAGO, August 22, 2011 /
Christian Newswire/ -- Despite a blizzard of PR emanating from City Hall designed to snow the public and the media concerning the liberal/progressive nature of Rahm Emanuel when it comes to civil rights, hopes are fading that his administration will be any less repressive of civil rights than his predecessor, Richard Daley.
Chicago attorney John Mauck, of Mauck and Baker, points to a number of happenings that place the city in a less-than-attractive light when it comes to honoring free speech and the civil rights of the citizenry.
In the case of Teesdale v. City of Chicago, the Rev. Frank Teesdale was arrested for handing out religious literature during a church festival. The city continues to defend its practice of barring free speech on public streets, sidewalks, and parkways, despite three years of litigation and rulings that it does not. This case is again on appeal by the city, even following a blasting of their action by District Judge William Hart.
World Outreach Conference Center (WOCC) came up against the city when it purchased the Roseland YMCA. WOCC’s intent was to continue all of the YMCA programs including single room occupancy for 150 persons. Despite this intent to continue serving the community, WOCC was hit with an aldermanic rezoning, springing from a city council culture that considers aldermanic zoning privilege as trumping civil rights whenever they occur.
The Felony Franks fiasco also illustrates aldermanic abuse, costing taxpayers dearly.
Peaceful activists from Repent America were impeded and even arrested for handing out literature at Chicago's Gay Olympics, despite adhering to current laws regarding public distribution of printed material. The case is currently before the 7th Circuit Court.
Finally, Emanuel's recent suggestions that City Hall should open up the taxpayers' wallets to pay the Burge 10 may have more to do with preventing the deposition testimony of former State's Attorney Daley than of giving due justice to the victims of police brutality.
Mauck, who has testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution concerning church zoning problems, has expressed great concern over this trend in Chicago's disruption of civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and regularly defended in the courts and upheld by the judiciary. "Not only are civil rights being repressed," explained Mauck, "but the city is wasting money in irresponsible litigation, as well as giving prejudicial favor to aldermen at the expense of the taxpayer and the homeless."
Mauck has been instrumental in originating parts of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, which has become essential in securing religious liberties for Americans of all faiths. Mauck is active in "helping to advance the law so that people have more freedom to worship," he says. In addition to religious zoning work, Mauck also practices real estate law and litigation, not-for-profit law, and Constitutional law.
To interview Attorney John Mauck, or for more information on this story, please contact Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations at 312.422.1333 or
tc@tcpr.net.
