Protester Put Out Over Prayer

A man was taken from the Board of Supervisors’ chambers in handcuffs Tuesday morning after he tried to protest the board’s practice of beginning its meetings with a prayer.

Stephen D. Last, 42, was taken into custody by officers from the San Diego Police Department and is expected to be charged with trespassing, said Jim Hatcher, chief of staff for Chief Administrative Officer Norman Hickey.

Witnesses said Last, a La Mesa resident, stood and began making his way to the front of the chambers as the Rev. Vicente Montano of Zion Centro Cristiano began his prayer shortly after 9 a.m. Two county security guards detained Last, and Montano continued his invocation without disruption.

Last was later turned over to police.

Last’s mother, Judith, said her son believes it’s unconstitutional for the supervisors to include prayers in their public meetings.

“He wanted to be heard,” said Judith Last, who attended the meeting with her son. “He didn’t create a disturbance. He believes prayer doesn’t belong in the government.”

Last, who has described himself as an atheist, did not put up any resistance and had informed aides to supervisors and other county officials in advance of his plans to disrupt the meeting at the County Administration Center. Hatcher said guards were called in to ensure that Last did not cause a disturbance.

“The board and anyone else should feel safe in the chambers,” Hatcher said.

The supervisors are not the only local elected officials who invite members of the clergy to offer a prayer at the beginning of their weekly meetings. The San Diego City Council begins its meetings with a prayer.