Federal judge OKs Ten Commandments display at Kentucky courtroom in ADF-funded case Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 2:31 PM (MST) |
ADF Media Relations | 480-444-0020Jesus painting will remain at Slidell courthouse
Still standing: Court declares Oklahoma Ten Commandments display constitutional
ASHLAND, Ky. — A federal judge ruled Monday that displaying a copy of the Ten Commandments in a Rowan County courtroom does not violate the Constitution. The Alliance Defense Fund provided funding for the case in 2002.
“The Ten Commandments clearly have historical significance for our country,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Mike Johnson. “Even the ACLU would have to admit that our laws are based on the principles of abstaining from lying, cheating, and stealing, and these are ideals that all Americans should value. The court was correct in determining that this particular display is constitutional. The decision is consistent with recent rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court.”
In 1999, Rowan County officials voted to display a copy of the Ten Commandments in the Rowan County Fiscal Courtroom in response to the request of a local private citizen. The King James Version of the Ten Commandments is included as part of a “Foundations of American Law and Government” display. Also included in the display are copies of the Magna Charta, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the national motto, “In God We Trust.”
In Monday’s ruling, the judge explained that the “Foundations” display served an educational purpose and that a “reasonable person would not conclude that the county’s display has the effect of endorsing religion.”
“A passive display acknowledging our nation’s religious heritage cannot be interpreted as Congress enacting a law establishing religion,” said Johnson. “Those who interpret such displays that way have terribly misunderstood the First Amendment.”
A copy of the ruling issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Northern Division at Ashland, in the case American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky v. Rowan County can be read at
www.telladf.org/UserDocs/RowanCountyDecision.pdf. Liberty Counsel represented Rowan County in the case.
ADF-funded victories involving Ten Commandments displays include ACLU of Nebraska v. City of Plattsmouth and Van Orden v. Perry. A federal court ruled in favor of ADF attorneys defending a Ten Commandments monument in Haskell County, Okla., in August 2006 (
www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3833). Under the same legal principles, a federal judge in New Orleans ruled in favor of ADF attorneys on Sept. 7, determining that an historical display that includes a painting of Jesus Christ at a St. Tammany Parish courthouse is constitutional (
www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4236).
