{"id":345,"date":"2011-06-17T10:36:18","date_gmt":"2011-06-17T14:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/?p=345"},"modified":"2011-06-14T22:04:38","modified_gmt":"2011-06-15T02:04:38","slug":"supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court Should OK Display of 10 Commandments in OH Courtroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It’s a legal challenge that’s been underway for years.\u00a0 And, now, we’re asking the Supreme Court of the United States to get involved.<\/p>\n

We filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari<\/a> at the Supreme Court urging the high court to take an Ohio case and overturn a federal appeals court decision that declared a poster that included that Ten Commandments as part of an exhibit on legal philosophy by a State Judge unconstitutional.<\/p>\n

We are urging the Justices to hear the case<\/a> and overturn a February 2011 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that determined that the display in the courtroom of Ohio Common Pleas Court Judge James DeWeese violated the First Amendment and had to be removed.\u00a0 We represent Judge DeWeese in this case.<\/p>\n

At issue is a poster designed to illustrate Judge DeWeese\u2019s legal philosophy. The “Philosophies of Law in Conflict” poster features two columns of principles or precepts intended to show the contrast between legal philosophies based on moral absolutes and moral relativism. The judge used a version of the Ten Commandments as symbolic of moral absolutes, and a set of statements from sources such as the Humanist Manifesto as symbolic of moral relativism.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the petition urging the Supreme Court to take the case, the ACLJ argues that the appeals court erred when it concluded that an ACLU attorney, who objected to the poster, had legal standing to bring the suit because he suffered what the court determined to be “injury” by simply viewing the poster.<\/p>\n

The ACLJ contends that the appeals court got it wrong – arguing that simply being offended does not give a plaintiff legal standing to files suit.\u00a0 Further, the ACLJ argues the 6th Circuit opinion conflicts with Supreme Court and other appeals courts decisions recognizing with approval the role of religion in the country’s history and heritage.<\/p>\n

In the filing, the ACLJ notes that Judge DeWeese’s opinions regarding law and morality can best be summed up by Justice William O. Douglas:<\/p>\n

“The institutions of our society are founded on the belief that there is an authority higher than the authority of the State; that there is a moral law which the State is powerless to alter; that the individual possesses rights, conferred by the Creator, which government must respect.”\u00a0 McGowan v. Maryland<\/em>, 366 U.S. 420, 562 (1961) (Douglas, J., dissenting).<\/p>\n

The ACLJ petition filed at the Supreme Court is posted here<\/a>.\u00a0 The case is DeWeese v. ACLU<\/em>.<\/p>\n

We believe it’s critical for the Supreme Court to take this case and overturn a flawed decision that conflicts with Supreme Court precedent and other appeals courts.<\/p>\n

This display is not only appropriate, but constitutional as well.\u00a0 It merely reflects a legal philosophy embraced by our founders:\u00a0 a society’s legal system must rest on moral absolutes as opposed to moral relativism, and that abandonment of moral absolutes leads to societal breakdown and chaos.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We’re hopeful that the high court will take this case and overturn this flawed decision.<\/p>\n

I will keep you posted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s a legal challenge that’s been underway for years.\u00a0 And, now, we’re asking the Supreme Court of the United States to get involved. We filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari at the Supreme Court urging the high court to take an Ohio case and overturn a federal appeals court decision that declared a poster…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":401,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,8],"tags":[113,743,114,109,112,110,115,744,774],"class_list":["post-345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith","category-justice","category-supreme-court","tag-6th-circuit-court-of-appeals","tag-aclj","tag-aclu","tag-judge-james-deweese","tag-legal-exhibit","tag-ohio","tag-petition-for-writ-of-certiorari","tag-supreme-court","tag-ten-commandments"],"yoast_head":"\nSupreme Court Should OK Display of 10 Commandments in OH Courtroom - Faith & Justice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Supreme Court Should OK Display of 10 Commandments in OH Courtroom - Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It’s a legal challenge that’s been underway for years.\u00a0 And, now, we’re asking the Supreme Court of the United States to get involved. We filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari at the Supreme Court urging the high court to take an Ohio case and overturn a federal appeals court decision that declared a poster…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Faith & Justice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-06-17T14:36:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2011-06-15T02:04:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/files\/2011\/06\/seal-150x150.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jay Sekulow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Supreme Court Should OK Display of 10 Commandments in OH Courtroom - Faith & Justice","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Supreme Court Should OK Display of 10 Commandments in OH Courtroom - Faith & Justice","og_description":"It’s a legal challenge that’s been underway for years.\u00a0 And, now, we’re asking the Supreme Court of the United States to get involved. We filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari at the Supreme Court urging the high court to take an Ohio case and overturn a federal appeals court decision that declared a poster…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html","og_site_name":"Faith & Justice","article_published_time":"2011-06-17T14:36:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2011-06-15T02:04:38+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/files\/2011\/06\/seal-150x150.png"}],"author":"Jay Sekulow","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html","name":"Supreme Court Should OK Display of 10 Commandments in OH Courtroom - Faith & Justice","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/files\/2011\/06\/seal-150x150.png","datePublished":"2011-06-17T14:36:18+00:00","dateModified":"2011-06-15T02:04:38+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/#\/schema\/person\/fd4c384af0620d4b82ae09cf1d77bdb4"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/files\/2011\/06\/seal-150x150.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/faithandjustice\/files\/2011\/06\/seal-150x150.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/2011\/06\/supreme-court-should-ok-display-of-10-commandments-in-oh-courtroom.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Supreme Court Should OK Display of 10 Commandments in OH Courtroom"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/","name":"Faith & Justice","description":"Jay Sekulow - ACLJ","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/#\/schema\/person\/fd4c384af0620d4b82ae09cf1d77bdb4","name":"Jay Sekulow","description":"Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), a law firm and educational organization that focuses on constitutional law. He is also Chief Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Jay Sekulow is one of the leading defenders of constitutional rights and religious liberties in the United States. Over the past 25 years, Jay Sekulow has amassed an unparalleled record of accomplishment, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions. His aggressive litigation strategy before the Supreme Court has led to many landmark First Amendment victories. In his first case before the Supreme Court, Jews for Jesus, Jay Sekulow secured the right of religious groups to pass out tracks in airports. In Mergens, Jay Sekulow successfully protected the right of students to form Bible clubs and prayer groups on public school campuses. In Lamb\u2019s Chapel, Jay Sekulow cleared the way for churches to have equal access to public facilities in the same way that other groups are permitted to utilize those facilities. In the Bray and Operation Rescue cases, Jay Sekulow protected the free speech rights of pro-life advocates to be free from criminal prosecution for conveying their pro-life message. In McConnell v. FEC, Jay Sekulow protected the right of young people to engage in the political process by donating to the campaign of their choice. In Pleasant Grove, Jay Sekulow paved the way for governments to be able to display Ten Commandments monuments, and other monuments of their choosing, in public parks. Through the ACLJ, Jay Sekulow engages the political, legal, and cultural battles facing America today. He routinely works with Members of Congress, advising them on proposed legislation and representing them in critical legal matters. Jay Sekulow has also testified before Congress on the constitutionality of proposed legislation. Also, in addition to being a successful Supreme Court advocate, Jay Sekulow is a highly respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is the host of Jay Sekulow Live! which airs each weekday on over 850 radio stations nationwide, in addition Sirius and XM satellite radio. He brings insight and education to listeners daily through this national call-in radio program. He is also the host of the ACLJ This Week, the ACLJ\u2019s weekly television program. Jay Sekulow regularly appears on major media outlets, including FOX News, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, where he is sought out for his vast experience in constitutional law and his unique insight into many of the pressing legal and political issues facing America today. He is frequently quoted in the nation's leading newspapers and often contributes opinion editorials to national publications. Jay Sekulow has also published numerous law review and other scholarly articles. Jay Sekulow has received numerous honors for his groundbreaking legal work in the area of free speech and religious liberties. The Legal Times has named Sekulow one of \u201cThe 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years\u201d and the National Law Journal has twice named Sekulow one of the \u201c100 Most Influential Lawyers\u201d in the United States. In addition, TIME Magazine listed Jay Sekulow as one of the \"25 Most Influential Evangelicals\" in America. Jay Sekulow\u2019s legal work in defense of religious liberties and human rights extends beyond the United States, having founded the ECLJ in Strasbourg, France, which maintains consultative status with the United Nations. He has also opened offices in Pakistan, Africa, and Jerusalem, Israel. Jay Sekulow is a staunch defender of Israel, presenting arguments before the International Criminal Court at the Hague. His efforts in support of Israel\u2019s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks have been commended by Israeli government officials, one official stating, \"Jay was instrumentally-involved in projects that the President of Israel and the Prime Minister put on our national agenda.\" Jay Sekulow also has a passion for educating the next generation of religious liberty advocates. He is a member of the Regent University Law School Faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law and routinely teaches courses on constitutional law and presents guest lectures. Jay Sekulow has also started educational programs in international human rights law in Strasbourg, France and at Handong University in South Korea. Jay Sekulow is a graduate of Mercer University, earning both a bachelor\u2019s degree and doctor of jurisprudence. Sekulow served on the editorial staff of the Mercer Law Review and graduated cum laude. He later earned a Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American Legal History. Jay Sekulow also serves on the Board of Trustees for The Supreme Court Historical Society in Washington, D.C. Jay Sekulow, ACLJ Chief Counsels full biography and video. Jay Sekulow on Facebook. Jay Sekulow on Twitter. Jay Sekulow on YouTube.","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/author\/jay_sekulow"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/401"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=345"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":360,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/345\/revisions\/360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/faithandjustice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}