No charges for Philly Jesus

AND ON THE second day, the city said, "Thou shalt not go to trial."

Yesterday, the District Attorney's Office dropped the charges against local icon Philly Jesus, his attorney said.

Tasha Jamerson, a spokeswoman for the DA's Office, confirmed that prosecutors decided not to pursue the two summary offenses lobbied against the roving preacher.

The announcement came two days after Philly Jesus - a/k/a Michael Grant, 28, a recovering heroin addict who now lives to spread the Gospel - pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct and failure to disperse, charges stemming from his arrest in LOVE Park on Nov. 14.

Charles Gibbs, Grant's attorney, said his client was "ecstatic" at hearing the DA's decision.

"The DA's office did their job," Gibbs told the Daily News last night. "They looked at the law and facts of the case and concluded, as I did, that there was no reason for him to be arrested."

Initial reports about Grant's arrest said police may have thought he was asking for money, but Gibbs said the arresting officer may have recognized Grant from his days as an addict and asked him to leave.

As with all summary offenses, the worst Grant would have faced was a fine, had he pleaded guilty.

In choosing to fight the case, Grant would've contested the charges at a trial, scheduled a few days before his namesake's birthday.

Now that his schedule is clear, Grant can again focus on "proclaiming his message of hope and love, and sharing the gospel of Jesus as he interprets it," Gibbs said.