The City of Alpharetta in Georgia has settled for $55,000 (£43,285) and agreed to revise its panhandling laws following the arrest of Jeff Gray, a US Army veteran and retired truck driver, for holding a sign supporting homeless veterans.
The settlement, reached before the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division, mandates Alpharetta to adjust its regulations to better protect First Amendment rights and includes training for law enforcement on respecting these rights.
Of the settlement amount, $41,250 (£32,472) will be awarded to Gray, with the remainder allocated to The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which represented him in this case.
In a statement, Gray expressed his gratitude towards FIRE for their defense of free speech rights, stating:
"The City of Alpharetta stomped on my right to freedom of speech...FIRE taught Alpharetta that everyone has the right to free speech."
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2022 incident where Gray was detained for allegedly breaching the city's anti-panhandling policy by advocating for the welfare of homeless veterans. His actions were defended as protected political expression under the First Amendment.
Gray, who also runs a YouTube channel focusing on civil rights investigations and audits of First and Second Amendment rights, has previously engaged in similar legal actions defending free speech.
In addition to the Alpharetta case, Gray had filed lawsuits against other Georgia officials for infringing on his right to free expression, including a successful challenge leading to an amendment in Blackshear's Parades and Demonstrations Ordinance.