Supreme Court to hear Jehovah's Witness evangelism case

Ohio town can require door-to-door solicitors, including tell gious groups, to identify themselves to authorities before engaging in outreach efforts.

On Oct. 15, the high court announced it would hear Watch-- tower Bible and Tract Society of New York v. Village of Stratton, a lawsuit challenging a three-year-old ordinance that requires individuals who wish to engage in door-to-door solicitation or religious proselytizing to register with the city government and fill out a form giving detailed information about their activities.

The challenge to Stratton's law was brought by the Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian denomination known for its aggressive evangelism. Lower federal courts ruled in support of several provisions of Stratton's ordinance, concluding that it was equally applied to religious and nonreligious groups alike. However, the courts struck down a provision that singled out the Jehovah's Witnesses as one group that town residents could bar from visiting their homes. (Local officials, including the mayor, encouraged the denomination to evangelize elsewhere.)

The Supreme Court, in agreeing to hear an appeal, has said it will only consider the question of whether the Jehovah's Witnesses can be required to display official permits, which include their names. The justices in the past have held that people may not be forced to reveal their identities when engaging in free speech.

In other legal news, the justices overturned an appeals court ruling that supported an Arizona town's right to deny city equipment and other support services to a Christian group for a National Day of Prayer rally. In an unsigned order Oct. 9, the Supreme Court said the city of Tucson was wrong to reject a request to provide free public services made available to other groups for events at a city park. (Gentala v. City of Tucson)

Copyright Americans United for Separation of Church and State Nov 2001
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