How a ‘God bless the homeless vets’ sign fueled a free-speech conflict

The city of Alpharetta, Georgia, must pay a man $55,000 and amend its panhandling laws as part of a settlement in a faith-related free speech case, per The Christian Post .

Demonstrator Jeff Gray had been arrested in 2022 and charged with panhandling while carrying a sign reading “God bless the homeless vets.”

With the help of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Gray fought back against the charge, arguing that the city’s panhandling rules violated free speech protections.

“Even if Gray was ‘panhandling,’ it is clearly established that the First Amendment protects speakers asking others for help,” his legal complaint said, according to The Christian Post.

Jeff Gray’s history of social advocacy

The 2022 incident was not Gray’s first run-in with the law.

The longtime street demonstrator has previously been involved in lawsuits dealing with rules governing parades, protests and demonstrations, per The Christian Post.

“In July 2023, in response to (Gray’s) lawsuit against (the Blackshear, Georgia, police chief), the Blackshear City Council agreed to amend their Parades and Demonstrations Ordinance so individuals do not have to get advanced approval from city officials to demonstrate on public streets and sidewalks,” the article said.

After his 2022 arrest in Alpharetta, Gray spoke about the incident on his YouTube account.

He denied actually asking passersby for money, telling authorities that he instead just stood by city hall with his sign. The video shows a police officer first telling him to leave, then putting him in handcuffs.

Free speech settlement

The Alpharetta lawsuit was settled earlier this summer.

“According to the agreement, the city agreed to amend its rules on panhandling to protect First Amendment rights and provide training for law enforcement to respect said rights,” The Christian Post reported. “Additionally, Alpharetta agreed to pay $55,000 in legal fees and other costs, $41,250.00 of which will go to Gray, and the remaining sum will go to The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which represented Gray.”

Gray’s legal team has praised him for raising awareness of challenges facing homeless veterans.

“(Gray) goes out and gets to do two things,” said Gray’s attorney Adam Steinbaugh, per Yahoo News . “One is, he gets to spread a message that he believes in, which is that homeless veterans are important and overlooked in our society. And two, he gets to see and show the public how police treat people.”

“Panhandling is asking people for money, it’s asking people for help, and that’s protected by the First Amendment,” Steinbaugh added.