alik_05
06-27-2005, 11:57 AM
Split rulings on Ten Commandments displays
Supreme Court: Courthouse exhibits crossed line, but outdoor tablet OK
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:42 a.m. ET June 27, 2005
WASHINGTON - A sharply divided Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutionality of displaying the Ten Commandments on government land, but drew the line on displays inside courthouses, saying they violated the doctrine of separation of church and state.
The high court said displays of the Ten Commandments — like their own courtroom frieze — are not inherently unconstitutional. But each exhibit demands scrutiny to determine whether it goes too far in amounting to a governmental promotion of religion, the court said in a case involving Kentucky courthouse exhibits.
In that 5-4 ruling and another ruling, involving a 6-foot granite monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Texas capitol, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was the swing vote. The second ruling, likewise, was 5-4.
Supreme Court: Courthouse exhibits crossed line, but outdoor tablet OK
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:42 a.m. ET June 27, 2005
WASHINGTON - A sharply divided Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutionality of displaying the Ten Commandments on government land, but drew the line on displays inside courthouses, saying they violated the doctrine of separation of church and state.
The high court said displays of the Ten Commandments — like their own courtroom frieze — are not inherently unconstitutional. But each exhibit demands scrutiny to determine whether it goes too far in amounting to a governmental promotion of religion, the court said in a case involving Kentucky courthouse exhibits.
In that 5-4 ruling and another ruling, involving a 6-foot granite monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Texas capitol, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was the swing vote. The second ruling, likewise, was 5-4.