Supreme Court Agrees to Hear AZ Church’s Sign Case

On July 1, it was announced that the Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) has agreed to hear the case Reed v. Town of Gilbert. Clyde Reed, the pastor of a small Gilbert, AZ, church, sued the city because he claimed the city’s restrictions on when it could place temporary signs promoting its services were restrictive, whereas regulations for businesses and nonreligious organizations weren’t monitored. The Alliance for the Defense of Freedom (ADF) is advocating for Reed.

According to a Courthouse News Service report, a federal judge refused to enjoin the sign law, and the 9th Circuit Court affirmed that restrictions were content-neutral and not impermissible. Further, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton later granted the town summary judgement. A 9th Circuit panel reaffirmed the decision with a divided opinion last year.

Here’s an ADF prospectus on the case. In the interest of a balance of perspectives, here’s a report from the Tucson Sentinel.

It’s predicted SCOTUS will hear the case in fall or early next year. I will be writing more about the case for next week’s newsletter, and in the future.