Philly Jesus Fights for First Amendment Rights

Michael Grant

Michael Grant (A.K.A. Philly Jesus) is somewhat of a local celebrity in the city of Philadelphia. Grant dresses up as Jesus of Nazareth and preaches to those around him; he has made appearances at numerous city events, parades, and is seen wandering the streets. In the past, Grant has been the subject of controversy.  Prior to his reputation as Philly Jesus, Grant was a Heroin addict. Since he began his so-called preaching career, he has been accused of homophobia and was arrested in 2016 for defiant trespass and disorderly conduct when he refused to leave an Apple store.
Now, in 2020, Grant is back in the headlines and is once again having difficulties with police.
However, this time is a little different. Instead of facing charges, Grant is trying to charge the city of Philadelphia with violating his First, Fourth, and Fourteenth amendment rights. 

On December 21, 2020, Philly Jesus was preaching outside of city hall while holding a sign that read "If you die, are you going to Heaven? Find out here". He also had a basket for donations to his cause. Grant claims that police approached him and told him to "stop preaching".  Grant says that when he refused to stop, two police officers "dragged" him across the street, put him in handcuffs, and issued him a citation for "failure to disperse".  Philly Jesus claims that his First Amendment rights were violated when police officers limited his speech in a public space. 

If Grant's version of the story is accurate, then the officers were definitely guilty of violating his First Amendment rights. Grant claims that he was expressing himself in a peaceful manner in a public forum; there is no reason why this should not be allowed. However, I can't help but wonder if there is more to the story.  There has been public outcry over police actions in the past several years, but I think that it is important for us not to automatically assume that the police officers are in the wrong. I think that the incident needs to be further investigated before a decision is made in the case. 


An Article on Michael Grant's Lawsuit

Information on Michael Grant's Previous Arrests