Saturday, January 16, 2010

Ten Commandments Returns to Courthouse after Appeal Win

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a ruling in the case brought by the ACLU that reversed a lower court's opinion that said the Ten Commandments were impermissible.

-- From "Appeals court reverses Grayson Ten Commandments decision" by Bill Estep, Lexington Herald Leader 1/15/10

Posting a copy of the Ten Commandments in the Grayson County Courthouse did not violate the U.S. Constitution, federal appeals judges ruled Thursday.

The decision clears the way for the county to return a copy of the commandments to the courthouse wall, where it once hung in a display with other documents such as the Declaration of Independence and a picture of Lady Justice.

A federal judge in Louisville had previously ordered county officials to remove the Ten Commandments from the display.

The majority opinion by Judge David W. McKeague said the county's display did not have the primary purpose of endorsing or promoting religion and was, therefore, acceptable.

William E. Sharp, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, said those who sued the county are reviewing whether to appeal Thursday's decision.

Grayson County Judge-Executive Gary Logsdon said the county will continue the fight to post the Ten Commandments even if it goes to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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From "Lawyer: Ten Commandments on winning streak" by Bob Unruh © 2010 WorldNetDaily 1/16/10

The head of Liberty Counsel, a firm that litigates on civil and religious rights issues, says a decision from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has extended a winning streak for the Ten Commandments that dates back to 2005.

The organization successfully argued on behalf of the legality of a display in a public building in Kentucky that included the Ten Commandments among other historical references.

In this case, the ACLU had complained about the historic display on the second floor of the Grayson County courthouse. The display is titled "Foundations of American Law and Government." Besides the Ten Commandments, it includes the Magna Carta, the Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Preamble to the Kentucky Constitution, Star-Spangled Banner, National Motto and a picture of Lady Justice.

Documentation with the display explains the significance of the items. The purpose of the display is educational and is intended to reflect a sampling of documents that played a significant role in the development of the legal and governmental system of the United States, Liberty Counsel said.

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