Atheist In Lakeland FL Arrested For Making Sex Noises

[Formaldehyde]

After complaining that county meetings opened with a prayer and that the local sheriff was removing basketball hoops from the jail and donating them to Christian churches:

Atheist accused of making sex noises

Spoiler :

LAKELAND, Fla., May 4 (UPI) -- A Florida atheist activist is in jail for faking the sounds of a sex act in the presence of her neighbor and his 10-year-old son, authorities say.

Ellenbeth Wachs, 48, of Lakeland, legal director of the Atheists of Florida, was arrested Sunday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office told The (Lakeland) Ledger.

Fox News reported she was still being held at the Polk County jail without bond Wednesday because she had been out on bail after her arrest March 3 on charges of posing as a lawyer.

Neighbor Otto Lehman filed for an injunction for protection against Wachs in April, saying his son Forrest was playing basketball March 13 when she yelled at him to stop.

When Lehman and his son returned later, Wachs made noises that "sounded like a woman experiencing sexual gratification in an extremely loud fashion," the sheriff's affidavit said.

John Liguori, Wachs' lawyer, said she should be released because she has multiple sclerosis and her medical needs cannot be properly met in jail.

He said Wachs was resting after having chemotherapy when she asked the boy to stop playing basketball, and "there is no simulation of a sex act here."

Liguori also said authorities are targeting Wachs for her activism.

Atheists of Florida upset over jail basketball hoops donation to churches

Spoiler :

BARTOW, Florida (AP) -- An atheist group is upset over the Polk County Sheriff's recent decision to donate jailhouse basketball equipment to eight churches.

Previous Story: Polk Sheriff strips jails' hoops, donates to churches

Atheists of Florida on Tuesday formally requested information from the sheriff's office, including how much the equipment is worth and how much taxpayer money was involved. The group contends Sheriff Grady Judd violated separation of church and state by giving the equipment to churches instead of schools or parks.

Just before Christmas, Judd ordered the removal of the basketball goals, saying, "going to jail isn't fun and games."

The atheist group says it will decide on its next step after receiving the requested information.

Judd, however, says sheriff's office lawyers cleared the donation to churches.

It turns out this isn't the first time she has been arrested:

Lakeland atheist arrested for pretending to be an attorney

Spoiler :

Lakeland, Florida - An outspoken Lakeland atheist has been arrested. EllenBeth Wachs was arrested Thursday for allegedly pretending to be a licensed attorney. But she says her arrest is just retaliation for demanding that God be removed from government.

EllenBeth Wachs is no stranger to controversy. She's a member of Atheists of Florida. With about 500 members, the organization is unhappy that the Lakeland City Commission starts their meetings out, as it has for decades, with prayer.

Photo Gallery: Pictures, Atheists arrested at school board meeting

Related: Atheists arrested for protesting prayer at school board meeting

They're also furious with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd for his recent decision to remove basketball goals from the jail only to donate them to local churches.

Related: Polk removes basketball hoops from jail, donates to church

Wachs says she was stunned Thursday afternoon when more than a dozen deputies arrived at her Lakeland home to arrest her. She adds, "Obviously, it was overkill."

She says, "Merely humiliating or embarrassing us is certainly not going to work to stop us."

Wachs was charged with engaging in unauthorized practice of law. She's the legal affairs coordinator for Atheists of Florida and says, "I've always said I'm a retired attorney."

Wachs showed us her law degree from Widener University. She was licensed to practice in Pennsylvania but not Florida. She says she retired in 1997 after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Wachs says, as if being arrested wasn't bad enough, she had a special visitor while she was being booked. Sheriff Judd was giving a county commissioner a tour at the time. Wachs says, "I see him pull up with the county commissioner and I say, 'Oh, really?' This was way too coincidental."

10 News tried to contact the sheriff. His spokesperson says he's not commenting. We also tried to contact the Polk County state attorney but were told he was out of the office Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Wachs has hired an attorney and says she'll fight the charge. She adds, "You know what if this can happen to me, this can happen to you. Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Is it actually illegal for a woman to fake an orgasm in public?

Can you really arrest someone for claiming to an attorney because she is retired from a different state?

Can a devoutly Christian sheriff actually take basketball hoops from the county jail and donate them to Christian churches because "going to jail isn't fun and games"?

Is it further proof that there is no hope for the state of Florida?

 

[JollyRoger]

Is it actually illegal for a woman to fake an orgasm in public?

Faking an orgasm is a sacred act between one woman and one man within the confines of a marriage.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

I think the biggest mistake in your entire post is that bit right at the end where you assume this kind of behavior is limited to Florida. Some states are definitely worse than others but atheists are an unpopular minority in most of the US.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Ah. But you apparently forget this is the land of the hanging chad and other great debacles in American history.

But I agree other states are just as provincial, especially when it comes to atheists. It is just that Florida seems to make the news a disproportionate amount of the time...

 

[amadeus]

This woman sounds like a nut.

 

[galdre]

meanwhile, in the US...

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I was unaware that chemotherapy is an approved treatment for MS.

 

[Formaldehyde]

This woman sounds like a nut.

Anybody who voices displeasure regarding separation of church in state in Florida is definitely asking to be treated like one.

And who but those who are nuts would possibly dissent against the acts of their government? Can I get a shout out to Libya and Egypt?

 

[MobBoss]

What are we discussing here?

That the atheists in these stories are nutty troublemakers who need to get a life?

Or that they are being harassed for being nutty troublemaking atheists?

 

[galdre]

I was unaware that chemotherapy is an approved treatment for MS.

yeah, that confused me too

 

[MobBoss]

Anybody who voices displeasure regarding separation of church in state in Florida is definitely asking to be treated like one.

Voices? You mean 'grunts their displeasure in a sexual manner' according to the first story....

 

[Formaldehyde]

I was unaware that chemotherapy is an approved treatment for MS.

I would think that likely means she is also suffering from cancer?

 

[amadeus]

Is says the neighbor filed for an injunction for protection. Doesn't that mean the woman would have to keep a certain distance from them? It sounds like she violated that.

 

[MobBoss]

Hey, is anyone in this forum a member of Atheists of Florida? Perhaps they know this person?

 

[LucyDuke]

What is this, your "atheist" filtered news stories of the day? Sex noise lady: jackass. Donating public property to a church: bad. Next?

 

[JollyRoger]

Is this case a slam dunk or is it possible one of the kids was taking it to the hole?

 

[NetGear]

somebody get a warrant for meg ryan quick.

 

[JollyRoger]

Floridians are under a lot of pressure:

Floridians are going to have to start pulling up their pants and stop having sex with animals soon.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42920080/ns/local_news-miami_fl/

 

[Bei1052]

What's wrong with the sheriff donating the basketball hoops to local churches? You do realize that many churches run youth programs, which help keep people out of trouble. I'd much rather kids be using them than people in jail.

Sometimes I think atheists, in general, just complain to complain.

 

[Formaldehyde]

That's funny. I think some Christian reactionaries act exactly the same way.

Who in their right minds would speak up for secular government and separation of church and state in this day and age?