Full appeals court will rehear Arab fest case

DEARBORN (AP) - A federal appeals court has agreed to take another look at a First Amendment claim made by Christian evangelists who were told to leave an Arab-American street festival or be ticketed by police in suburban Detroit. It's rare for the full appeals court to rehear a case. Appeals are handled by three-judge panels at the Cincinnati-based court. But the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has set aside a 2-1 decision from August. In that opinion, a panel said sheriff's deputies didn't violate the free speech rights of a group called Bible Believers. In 2012, members were pelted with rocks while carrying a pig's head and telling Dearborn Muslims they would "burn in hell." Wayne County authorities say they threatened to ticket the evangelists because they were concerned about safety. Published: Thu, Oct 30, 2014