He was awarded $55k.
The City of Alpharetta, Georgia, has agreed to revise its panhandling regulations and pay $55,000 following the arrest of Jeff Gray, who was holding a sign that read “God Bless the Homeless Vets.” This settlement was reached in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia Atlanta Division, with the details released on a recent Monday. The settlement mandates that the city modify its panhandling rules to safeguard First Amendment rights and provide corresponding training to law enforcement officers.
As part of the agreement, Alpharetta will pay $55,000 to cover legal fees and other expenses, with $41,250 going directly to Gray and the rest allocated to The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which represented Gray. The settlement also includes mutual releases of any claims related to the incident, with Gray agreeing to dismiss all claims in the lawsuit.
Gray expressed his appreciation for FIRE’s assistance in challenging the city’s ordinance, stating that Alpharetta had infringed upon his free speech rights and that FIRE’s intervention was crucial in defending those rights. He highlighted that working with FIRE had been an exceptionally positive experience, demonstrating that free speech protections apply to all individuals, including those who are poor or homeless.
Gray had initially filed a federal lawsuit against Alpharetta in January 2023, naming city officials from the Department of Public Safety. The lawsuit arose from a 2022 incident in which Gray was arrested for allegedly violating the city’s anti-panhandling policy. The complaint argued that Gray’s actions were protected political speech under the First Amendment.
In addition to his case against Alpharetta, Gray has been involved in other legal actions defending his civil rights. In 2021, he sued officials in Moultrie, Georgia, following a disorderly conduct charge for holding a provocative sign outside city hall. More recently, Gray filed a lawsuit against Blackshear Police Chief Chris Wright, resulting in the Blackshear City Council amending their ordinance to allow public demonstrations without prior approval from city officials.