Uncovering the Truth: Discovery Begins in Our Lawsuit Against Chicago for Arresting Preachers

Last Friday marked another significant step forward in our federal lawsuit against the City of Chicago. The ACLJ sent written discovery to the city and the other defendants, formally requiring them to produce documents and answer questions under oath about their unconstitutional arrests of Christian preachers who were peacefully sharing the Gospel on the streets of Chicago.

This case exposes a troubling pattern of targeted enforcement against religious speech in public places. As we explained when we first filed suit:

Chicago has adopted an unconstitutional policy of targeting and arresting street preachers who use amplification, regardless of whether they actually violate any noise ordinance. Chicago law only requires permits for amplification that exceeds conversational levels at 100 feet away, yet police are arresting preachers who use any amplification at all. They are not taking any measures to determine if the speech actually violates the noise ordinance; they are just pulling up in their squad cars and immediately arresting the preachers.

In February, a federal judge shot down Chicago’s attempt to dismiss the case, paving the way for discovery.

Discovery is a pivotal phase of any federal lawsuit. During this stage, our written discovery will seek to shed light on exactly what happened here. The City of Chicago can no longer hide. It will be forced to show how these unconstitutional decisions were made, who authorized them, and what guidance was given to police officers regarding religious speech. The city will also be required to produce internal policies, communications, training materials, and explanations that seek to reveal how city officials actually implemented enforcement of the unconstitutional noise ordinance. Other discovery requests will force the defendants to formally answer questions under oath and admit key facts.

The First Amendment does not allow government officials to act as religious censors. That principle has been affirmed repeatedly by the Supreme Court. Religious speech is not second-class speech, and government hostility toward religion is unconstitutional. Yet in Chicago, our clients, Brett Raio, Perez Ndi, and Reetik Dhamala, were silenced and arrested for preaching the Gospel of Christ – even though they were standing on public sidewalks where speech enjoys the highest level of constitutional protection.

This case is not just about what happened on a single day or in a single city. If major cities and local governments are permitted to selectively silence religious expression in traditional public forums, then the First Amendment becomes meaningless.

As this case moves forward, we will continue to keep you informed. Your support makes this work possible and ensures that government officials are held accountable when they violate the fundamental freedoms guaranteed to all Americans.

Please continue to pray for this case, for our clients, and for a decisive victory for religious liberty.