Roadside Arrests of Members of Christian Group Bearing Cross: ACLJ Steps in To Defend Their Religious Liberty

The front lines of religious liberty in America aren’t always where you might expect them. Sometimes, they’re on an ordinary roadside where a missionary carries his cross.

At the ACLJ, we’re fighting for two Christians who face criminal charges for nothing more than peacefully exercising their constitutional rights – a sobering reminder that religious freedom requires constant vigilance.

Jesse Boyd’s mission is straightforward: carry a wooden cross across America while sharing his faith and calling for spiritual revival. It’s a peaceful act of religious expression that should be protected in a nation founded on religious liberty. While walking with his cross, Jesse’s daughter Bethany and her husband, Carter, parked nearby, simply waiting to pick him up.

Their presence triggered a 911 call reporting a “suspicious vehicle.” When police arrived, Bethany and Carter calmly explained their purpose for being there. The officers acknowledged they were just investigating the vehicle – no laws had been broken, and no threats existed.

However, when the couple declined to provide identification – standing on their Fourth Amendment rights as they had committed no crime and were parked, not operating a vehicle – the situation escalated unnecessarily. Jesse arrived and began documenting the interaction on video, attempting to clarify that his family members were merely his support team. Yet the officers handcuffed Carter and Bethany, took them to jail, and charged them with resisting arrest, all while Jesse watched in disbelief.

What should have been a brief, cordial exchange transformed into serious criminal allegations. Despite clear video evidence showing these Christians remained peaceful, respectful, and compliant throughout the encounter, police charged both with “resisting, delaying, or obstructing an officer.”

The facts are unmistakable: At no point did any of them resist arrest or obstruct law enforcement. They simply exercised their constitutional right to decline identification when no reasonable suspicion of criminal activity existed.

This case illustrates precisely why the ACLJ exists, and we are stepping in to defend our clients’ peaceful exercise of religious expression. The Fourth Amendment explicitly protects against unlawful searches and seizures, meaning citizens cannot be compelled to identify themselves absent reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. Christians peacefully practicing their faith, carrying a cross in public spaces, should never face criminalization for doing so.

Today we are in court for their arraignment, where our clients will plead not guilty to the charges, and a trial date will be set. We will not rest until justice prevails for these believers and the constitutional principles that protect all Americans’ religious liberty are upheld.