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Trial expected this year for Michigan farmer suing city

A pretrial conference is set for August, with the trial a month later.
Credit: Nick King / Lansing State Journal
Morgan Doherty, left, and Amanda Niven, right, stood in front of the Country Mill Farms booth last fall in support of the LGBTQ community at the East Lansing Farmer's Market.

LANSING, Mich. — A federal trial is expected to begin later this year in the case of a Michigan apple orchard owner who sued East Lansing after he was not allowed to participate at the city's farmers market because he doesn't allow gay couples to marry at his orchard.

Conservative Christian nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom is representing The Country Mill owner Steve Tennes.

Tennes had been selling at the market since 2010 but was denied a vendor's licence in 2017.

RELATED: Once banned, farmer vows to stay at East Lansing Farmer's Market for good

City officials cited Tennes’ Facebook post explaining that his religious beliefs prevented the business from hosting same-sex weddings.

A pretrial conference is set for August, with the trial a month later.

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