Athens, Ohio: Church-state pre-trial set for today [View all]

[theHandpuppet]

The Athens News
Athens, Ohio
Church-state pre-trial set for today
Local man charged with criminal mischief for obscuring church directory at courthouse
By David DeWitt

An Athens man is scheduled for a pre-trial in Athens County Municipal Court this morning (Monday) over his protest of the church directory sign on the Athens County Courthouse. The man admits placing stickers on the sign advocating the constitutional separation between church and state.

Eliot Kalman, 69, was arrested by courthouse constables Oct. 28 after being caught on a county video camera placing stickers on the sign. He was charged with a third-degree misdemeanor for criminal mischief. He pleaded not guilty to those charges, and said Friday he intends to represent himself when the matter goes to trial this morning.

Kalman, a longtime advocate for separation of church and state and former president of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, provided documents that show he has been in communication with the Athens County Commissioners since 2011 expressing his opposition to the church directory sign.

The sign lists 40 different churches and religious groups throughout Athens County....

MORE at http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article-43650-church-state-pre-trial-set-for-today.html