Phoenix bishop found guilty for 'unreasonably' loud bells

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Every hour for the past year the bells ring at Cathedral of Christ the King in North Phoenix, but those bells could soon be silenced.

“I still can’t figure out what law I have broken, but I was found guilty today in court,” said Bishop Rick Painter.

Painter was convicted of two counts of creating “an unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise.”

“We’re expressing our religion we glorify God by the bells,” he said.

The City of Phoenix sent this statement to ABC 15:

“The City of Phoenix Prosecutor's Office charged Rick Painter with 2 counts of a Phoenix City Code Violation of § 23-12 for creating "an unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise." The listed dates of violation are March 16, 2008 and March 26, 2008. The charges were a result of neighborhood complaints of the church bells ringing every half hour on the March 16th date of violation and hourly on the March 26th date of violation.At all times, the neighbors complained the bells were ringing at a high volume.  Though the complaints list a single date, we do that for legal reasons, but the neighbors testified the ringing was ongoing and continues to this day.”

In court today some neighbors said the bells are disturbing and keep them captive in their homes.

We tested the decibel levels of the chime on a sound level meter from Radio Shack.

We tested it from three different locations; across Greenway Road, across a smaller neighborhood street and in the church's parking lot.

Each time the levels came in lower than the traffic noise in the area.

Several times our meter indicated that it was “lo”, too low to even register on our device.

Some neighbors we talked to said they find the bells annoying, but others said they enjoy them.

“Don’t bother me at all. I look forward to hearing it. Sometimes I come out and sit on the porch just so I can hear it,” said one neighbor.

Bishop Painter wonders what’s next.

“They don’t like what I have preached about because it may not be politically correct and they sue for that?" he asked. "Where do we draw those lines?”

Painter will be sentenced June 3rd.