ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, July 28, 2025
CONTACT: Nicole Velasco
NVELASCO@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Washington, D.C. — Today, Advocates for Faith & Freedom and the American Freedom Law Center filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the United States Supreme Court on behalf of Mr. Matthew Connolly, a Christian monk and peaceful pro-life advocate who was convicted and sentenced to jail. His only alleged offense: quietly kneeling in prayer in a public area near an abortion facility.
The City of Southfield, Michigan, charged Mr. Connolly with violating a vague ordinance that criminalizes undefined behaviors such as causing “annoyance” or “disquiet” in public places. Mr. Connolly never entered the abortion clinic. He never raised his voice or disrupted any activity. He prayed silently in a common area open to the public. Law enforcement described his actions as “peaceful.” Nonetheless, he was arrested, convicted, and denied probation after refusing to accept a sweeping condition that would prohibit him from engaging in peaceful pro-life speech anywhere within 500 feet of any abortion facility in the United States. Had Mr. Connolly agreed to the terms, he would have been barred from seeking routine medical care at any hospital that provides abortions, an impossible condition for any citizen.
“This case is not just about Mr. Connolly,” said Advocates for Faith & Freedom attorney Erin Mersino. “It is about whether the government can silence pro-life Americans and criminalize public prayer. If this unconstitutional gag order is allowed to stand, then no one’s speech is safe.”
The petition challenges a vague and overbroad ordinance that criminalizes free expression based on someone else’s subjective feelings, as well as a nationwide probation condition that strips Mr. Connolly of his First Amendment rights across all fifty states.
Because Mr. Connolly refused to forfeit his constitutional rights, the court sentenced him to 90 days in jail and imposed monetary penalties. The ordinance in question criminalizes “annoying” behavior in public places, a subjective and ever-shifting standard that chills lawful expression and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.
“We are asking the United States Supreme Court to do what the Constitution already demands: protect the right of Americans, especially those who advocate for the sanctity of life, to speak freely, assemble peacefully, and pray publicly,” Attorney Erin Mersino continued.
This case is a pivotal moment for religious liberty and free speech. If prayer can be prosecuted, preaching can be banned. Silence now will only embolden government suppression of faith-based expression.
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Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting constitutional and religious liberty in the courts. Our mission is to engage in cases that will uphold our religious liberty and America’s heritage and to educate Americans about our fundamental constitutional rights.