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Ravbar was once Carapella’s elementary school teacher. Carapella, the son of one of London’s most successful developers, once was touted to be an up-and-coming charity organizer who was determined to help needy children.

All of that changed once they were both exposed to the extreme Christian views from the 1940s and 1950s linked to a radical Pentecostal American cleric.

The London bylaw was put in place last spring after a raft of complaints from the public about the two men for their incendiary comments aimed mostly women.

Their original tactic on Tuesday was to argue that their constitutional freedom of expression and freedom of religion have been violated by London’s beefed up mischief rules. Almost all their charges are under the new bylaw.

“If the law is not amended or removed, these same charges are going to be applied to us,” Ravbar told Cotter at the beginning of the hearing.

Cotter told the men he did not have the authority to strike down the bylaw – that can only happen in the Superior Court of Justice – but he could stay the charges if he was convinced of their arguments.

Their position was that the law was “government coercion,” Ravbar said, and that he and Carapella weren’t planning to call any witnesses, but simply relying on their handwritten materials, Scripture and charter rights.

They agreed to make an affirmation on the affidavit because they told Cotter that swearing on the Bible was wrong.

But provincial prosecutor Jack Huber argued Cotter would have to hear some of the facts and he would want to cross-examine the preachers to make a determination on the charter issues. Cotter agreed.