A man arrested for holding a sign that read “God Bless the Homeless Vets” outside of city hall in Alpharetta, Georgia, prevailed in a lawsuit against the city, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) announced on Aug. 5.
FIRE, which represented Jeff Gray in the First Amendment lawsuit, said in a press release that the city agreed to change its policies and pay $55,000 as a result of the lawsuit.
“Alpharetta officers tried to run Jeff out of town because they thought holding a sign was disorderly conduct,” said FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh in a press release. “They'll think twice next time. Jeff’s victory paves the way for everyone in Alpharetta and the state of Georgia to speak freely in public.”
Gray was arrested in January 2022 after holding the sign to raise awareness of homeless veterans on a public sidewalk outside of the city hall building.
A veteran, Gray has held the same sign outside of other city halls and other public places. He recorded his actions to document reactions he received to his sign on his YouTube channel.
While standing outside Alpharetta City Hall, Gray was approached by officers who told him he was engaging in illegal “panhandling” and threatened to arrest him if he did not stop, according to the lawsuit.
Gray then explained to the officers that he was not asking others for money, and even if he were, asking others for money is speech that is protected by the First Amendment.
Alpharetta police then handcuffed Gray, seized and turned off his video camera, and searched him, according to the complaint. The police also banned Gray from downtown Alpharetta.
“The City of Alpharetta stomped on my right to freedom of speech,” Gray said in a press statement.
“FIRE taught Alpharetta that everyone has the right to free speech, including people who are poor or homeless,” Gray said.
The group reported that Gray was not the only one threatened with arrest by Alpharetta police for “panhandling.” The First Amendment protects the right of people to ask others for help, according to FIRE.
As part of the settlement, Alpharetta will provide incident reports for the next three years involving panhandling to FIRE. The city must also train its officers on citizens’ First Amendment Rights.
The settlement agreement also includes new police department policies in which officers are prohibited from telling the public that panhandling is unlawful and officers are prohibited from issuing trespass notices that ban people from open public spaces.
If an officer violates the First Amendment, it will trigger a higher level of internal investigation and the officer will be disciplined, according to the settlement.
In addition to this lawsuit, FIRE also represented Gray in lawsuits against the police chief of Blackshear, Georgia, and the city of Port Wentworth, Georgia. Both were settled in 2023.
The city of Alpharetta did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
