Federal Courts Rule Against ACLU in Ten Commandments Cases
A federal judge has given a victory to free speech and religious expression, dismissing a six-year-old lawsuit filed by the ACLU against a Ten Commandments display in Dixie County, Florida. The 12,000-pound monument was erected at the Dixie County courthouse in 2006 by local resident Joe Anderson, who was given permission by the county and who maintained the display at his own expense. In addition to the Decalogue, the display included the simple admonition, “Love God and keep His Commandments.”
In 2007 a visitor to the county was offended by the display and contacted the ACLU in an attempt to force the monument's removal. The plaintiff in the case, referred to as “John Doe,” claimed that the monument was a major factor in his decision against purchasing property in the county.
While a U.S. district court ordered the removal of the Ten Commandments display in 2011, ruling that it violated the...
