A Chicago court has dismissed charges against three preachers affiliated with Christian Store who were arrested for peacefully sharing their faith on a sidewalk by a park.
The American Law and Justice Center (ACLJ), a conservative legal organization from Washington, D.C., filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Chicago earlier this year. This came after preachers Brett Leio, Leek Damara, and Perez NDI were taken into custody last December while sharing the gospel at Millennium Park.
“They weren’t causing any disruption. Traffic wasn’t being blocked, and there were no threats. They were just expressing their beliefs. They utilized a small speaker system, read from the Bible, and invited others to learn about Christ,” a spokesperson explained.
Reportedly, one person attempted to disrupt the preachers while they were using a battery-powered microphone to share their message. To accommodate this individual, one preacher moved the speaker further away from the heckler. However, the heckling continued, and Reio stated, “This is the best thing we can do. This person called the police based on their beliefs about our actions.”
Upon police arrival, officers requested that the preacher reduce the volume and sought permission. The preacher, however, declined, asserting that his right to speak did not require prior approval.
An officer then tried to seize the speaker, but Reio resisted and was subsequently arrested.
The charges were eventually dropped after Reio presented video evidence during a hearing at the Chicago Administrative Judgment Office on February 21, 2025. Interestingly, despite the case being dismissed, he was arrested again the very next day for continuing to share his message in the same location, leading to further legal action against the city.
The lawsuit by ACLJ claims that both the city and its officials had infringed upon the preachers’ constitutional rights by imposing “unjust criminal charges” for expressing their faith publicly.
“This unexpected turn highlights a troubling enforcement trend that overlooks established constitutional rights. The increasing arrests of street preachers simply expressing their beliefs shows that the issue remains unresolved,” the ACLJ noted.
After approximately six months of legal battles, the judge ultimately dismissed the case.
“After numerous delays and repeated court appearances, we were finally prepared for trial, but at the last moment, Chicago was not ready,” stated Harrell in a video shared on ACLJ’s Facebook page.
“These young men endured nearly six months of hearings and preparations, and just when we were set to proceed, the city couldn’t respond,” he added.
Although this legal outcome was a win, Harrell emphasized that there were still challenges ahead.
“While they can return to the streets to continue their preaching, the ongoing federal lawsuits pose a risk, and our ability to evangelize feels threatened by the prospect of more enforcement actions,” he remarked.
“They can go home, but we still need to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Harrell reiterated.
