Hallelujah Chorus in the Courtroom

Almost everyone in the pro-life world knows Flip Benham. He is a boisterous, strongly opinionated, voracious defender of Jesus and of unborn life. A pastor and prolife advocate for decades, he was responsible for leading “Jane Roe” to the Lord. She was Norma McCorvey, “Jane Roe” of the infamous Roe V Wade landmark case legalizing abortion. He also baptized her. He won her over through love, truth, and persistence.

The “pro-choice” people hate him. In my five and a half years as a Cities4Life counselor on the sidewalks of the SE busiest abortion center in Charlotte, NC, I often serve alongside Flip. He is unfailingly smiling and holding a Bible. Even in the heat of summer, he always wears a vest. He has a dress vest for court, which he appears in often. Flip is forever receiving citations or being arrested. In each instance I have observed, he is being targeted not for breaking any law, but for the Gospel, prolife message he unwaveringly proclaims. Human life, including unborn human life,  is sacred and should be protected.

I am often called as a witness, since I am on the sidewalk so frequently. I may not always agree with how Flip confronts those who are killing the unborn, but I always respect and admire his passion and willingness to be a truthful witness of the Lord.

He was once challenged by an officer for “disturbing the peace” in front of the abortion center. Flip instantly snapped back, “I cannot disturb what they do not have.” That’s Flip. Quick. Funny. Filled with the love of the Lord and the desire to defend what God would have him defend.

The latest court case was Thursday, August 8. Flip was charged with assault. I was down the street from him when the alleged assault occurred. The zoning people who have been capriciously misapplying the picketing ordinance in order to seize our signs slowed their car as they approached me. My sign was on private property owned by supporters of Charlotte Cities4Life. It was leaning against a tree but I was right nearby. I knew what would happen. I raced to my sign and held it. The car stopped. 

“You cannot lean your sign against a tree,” the zoning official said.

“It is private property and we have their permission,” I said.

“Signs must be held, even on private property.”

“What about all the voting signs I see, even have in my own yard, all on private property. Why are they not seized?”

“They should be,” he said. “We can’t seize everything.”

“Then why are you seizing ours?” I asked. “Please show me the ordinance that says what I am doing is illegal.”

“I will email it to you,” he said.

“That is fine, but please show it to me now. Pull this ordinance up on your phone.”

He refused, and shaking his head, drove away. At this point, he drove on to Flip, who had laid his signs on the ground while answering a phone call. When he saw the zoning officials approach, he knew what would happen. He ran to his signs and stepped on them. The officials tried to wrench the signs out from under him and Flip fell to his knees, brushing one of the officials in his fall. He begged them not to seize his signs (which are expensive.) They refused. Flip called 911 to report the stolen property. The officers arrived, heard the story, and filed the complaint. No complaint was filed against Flip.

Till later…

The zoning officials went to the magistrate and said Flip had assaulted them. Later, Flip was arrested. There was no evidence, no injury, and his story was very different from the zoning officials’ story. The officer who had responded to the 911 call had seen no evidence whatsoever of assault. 

It didn’t matter. Flip was arrested, spent some time in jail, posted bond and was released. 

I met him along with two other witnesses for his defense. None of us had seen the actual incident that time. We had seen the zoning officials seizing our signs countless other times however. I knew from my interaction with them just moments before the incident with Flip that they were out to find a way to take our signs.

Because we were potential witnesses to be called to testify, we had to wait outside the courtroom. It was a long wait. We were never called, but finally Flip and his incredible lawyer, Corey Parton, emerged with huge grins on their faces. 

Not guilty. According to Flip, no judge had ever pronounced “not guilty” with more confidence or more alacrity. Corey told us that the three officials all gave different stories of how Flip assaulted them, none of which were believable. Flip had desperately wanted to share the Gospel when he testified, but he was not ever called to the stand. It wasn’t necessary. The zoning officials were incriminated by their own fumbling deception, like the infamous Haman who was hung on the very gallows he erected for his enemy in the book of Esther.

“Jesus was never mentioned today, “ Flip said later (just as God is never mentioned in the book of Esther), “Though, His justice was done and His mercy bestowed upon each one of us.  He was glorified!”

*photo above of Flip Benham and attorney Corey Parton of Parton & Associates, PLLC

*David Redding of Redding Jones, PLLC, has also been working with Flip on this case and others.