Street Preacher's Conviction For Trespass On School Grounds Upheld

In State v. Carr, (OR Ct. App., Oct. 3, 2007), the Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the criminal trespass conviction of street preacher Michael John Carr who insisted on preaching to Hillsboro, Oregon middle school students as they arrived at school and disembarked from school their buses. Carr wore a sandwich board with religious content and told students that that he had free passes to heaven for them. The court rejected Carr's claim that his right to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion prevented the school's principal from restricting his speech, at least when he was on school grounds as opposed to the public sidewalk in front of the school.