Excerpt:
Sidney Elyea admits he did it. He posted those anti-Islam posters on utility poles near a Somali-owned business and the Islamic Center.
The city attorney says the Waite Park man violated the city's ordinance against posting items on city poles and should pay a fine. Elyea says he's being punished because people didn't like what he put on his posters. He was just exercising his First Amendment rights.
An administrative hearing this afternoon at the Lake George Municipal Building will be used to determine who is right.
It's an unusual case that stirred emotions when the graphic posters showed up around town in December. The St. Paul-based Council on American-Islamic Relations conducted a public forum to discuss their impact. The Stearns and Benton County attorneys declined to prosecute. In January, the city issued two citations to Elyea, saying he violated city ordinances prohibiting the posting of materials on city fixtures.