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Man appeals conviction for church outburst to Ga. Supreme Court
Defendant charged with disorderly conduct in 2014 incident at 12Stone, claims free speech protection
David Justin Freeman
David Justin Freeman
A man is appealing to the Georgia Supreme Court his disorderly conduct conviction for shouting “don’t let Satan or the devil raise your kids” in a Hall County church, claiming his acts were free speech protected by the First Amendment. David Justin Freeman was charged with disorderly conduct Aug. 3, 2014, after an outburst at 12Stone church in Flowery Branch. He will appeal the conviction Monday morning. According to the summary provided by the court, 12Stone Pastor Jason Berry was conducting the service when he asked teachers to stand and be recognized. A home schooling father, Freeman “raised his middle finger in the air and stared angrily at Berry,” according to the court’s summary.