Millennium Park in Chicago, “Home of the Bean,” attracts 20,000,000 visitors per year. Wheaton students Matthew Swart, Gabriel Emerson, Jeremy Chong, and Caeden Hood were among the few who were unwelcome because park rules prohibited throughout 90% of the park their distribution of tracts, open air preaching, music, drama, and other means to communicate the love of God through Jesus.
After being told on two occasions to cease their evangelism, the young men turned to Mauck & Baker, which brought suit in Federal Court. John Mauck, who headed the team, explained, “Chicago made some half-way efforts to loosen its rules to allowing more free speech, but after Judge Blakey ruled that five or six parts of their regulations violated constitutional standards, the City vastly opened up Millennium Park to free speech.”
We continued, for a while, the litigation to obtain damages, attorney fee, and knock out a couple other bothersome prvision in the Rules. Based on encouragement from the Court, we settled the case through City Council approval in April 2023, and are pleased to report $5,000 a piece for each evangelist, $185,000 in legal fees, and most important, an enlargement for 20,000,000 people of this opportunity to hear the message of reconciliation with God.
How wonderful thank
For your help.Gal 6:9