Trial set for Myrtle Beach street preacher who claims city police violated First Amendment rights
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A Myrtle Beach street preacher who says city police barred him from openly sharing his religious beliefs during a 2019 motorcycle rally headed to trial Tuesday morning.
Brian Cranford hopes a jury will agree that officers and city leaders violated his First Amendment rights when they forced only him and several associates to leave Plyler Park and turn off a sound system.
One of Cranford’s associates was later arrested along a public sidewalk, according to court documents.
“Plaintiff wishes to continue exercising his constitutional rights, and has specific and concrete intentions to continue engaging in the exercise of his constitutional rights … but is fearful of being cited and/or arrested for exercising his constitutional and civil rights,” Cranford’s attorneys wrote in an Oct. 31, 2019 lawsuit.
In response to Cranford’s allegations, city leaders said Cranford and his group were given “ample opportunity” to express their beliefs, but chose to violate local noise ordinances while blocking pedestrian and vehicle traffic along Ocean Boulevard.
“Plaintiff and his group had ample opportunity to express their message to the public. Plaintiff and his group took advantage of their opportunity by walking the sidewalks along Ocean Boulevard, preaching their message using their natural voices and carrying banners and signs that proclaimed their message to the public,” the city argued in court documents.
Cranford’s civil trial was set to begin at 9:30 in U.S. District Court in Florence.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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