A federal judge has delivered a major win for free speech and religious liberty in the case of Joseph Cocchini v. City of Franklin, Tennessee. In a strongly worded opinion, the court affirmed that Joseph Cocchini – a Christian evangelist arrested at 2023’s Franklin Pride Festival – was well within his First Amendment rights to express his religious views on public grounds. The ruling emphasizes that the Constitution does not take a backseat simply because a private group is hosting an event in a public park. Cocchini’s peaceful sharing of the Gospel at the festival “did not dissipate” his free speech rights, even if the event was organized by a private entity, as long as the park remained open to the general public. This landmark decision sends a clear message: Americans do not lose their free speech rights in public forums, even at events that celebrate messages they personally disagree with.
Crucially, the court found that Cocchini behaved lawfully and peacefully during the Franklin Pride Festival. He entered the event (held at Franklin’s Harlinsdale Farm park) after passing security, wore a shirt reading “Jesus Changed My Life. Ask Me How,” and engaged festivalgoers in polite conversations about faith. According to evidence viewed in Cocchini’s favor, he was “calmly sharing religious viewpoints” and not causing any disturbance or breaking any laws when he was ordered to leave. In other words, his conduct was entirely within the bounds of lawful free expression. The judge underscored that “it was clearly established at the time of his arrest that [Cocchini] had the right to speak about his discordant views at the festival, so long as he did so peacefully and without causing a disruption”. This affirmation of Cocchini’s First Amendment rights is a significant victory for those who believe that even traditional Judeo-Christian viewpoints deserve a voice in the public square, despite growing pressure to silence them under the guise of “tolerance” and “inclusion.”