Cobb County (GA) Wins Prayer Legal Battle

[GeorgiaDem69]

A federal judge in Atlanta has handed Cobb County an almost complete victory in its defense of invocations given before county commission meetings.

In an order signed today, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story said the prayers, which frequently refer to Jesus Christ, do not violate the Constitution. While Story did not find a problem with the way the county commission chooses those who give the prayers, he did take issue with the selection process used by the Planning Commission during 2003 and 2004 and told the county to address it.

***

This marks the second time that Story, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, has ruled in favor of Cobb County and against a lawsuit filed by plaintiffs represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. In January, Story rejected the plaintiffs' bid for a preliminary injunction to halt the invocations immediately.

The seven plaintiffs represented by the ACLU filed the lawsuit in August 2005, contending the prayers were an unconstitutional establishment of religion. In his order in January, Story found that the ACLU had not demonstrated that Cobb's practice resulted "in the impermissible appearance of an official preference for one sect or creed to the exclusion of others."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2006/09/08/0908cobbprayer.html

[AX10]

1. Cobb County is a reich wing unAmerican shithole!

[RethugAssKicker]

4. Tell me about it... I fucking live here!!

Gotta find a way out man !

[AX10]

5. My most sincere condolences.

:hug:

[Chi-Town Exile]

9. I share your pain ... we're here for my son's high school ... eom

[Chi-Town Exile]

8. Got that Right! (Pun Intended)

I should know, I live here! LOL

[GeorgiaDem69]

14. As do I. Good schools though.

[BeautifulLoser]

2. So this judge was appointed by Clinton???

Is that true?

[wryter2000]

3. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[BeautifulLoser]

7. Thanks!

[Lance_Boyle]

6. Wonder if one would be arrested

for going to Commission meetings and disrupting the prayer? For instance, every time Mr. GodGuy mentions the name Jesus, greet it with a loud shout of "Allahu Akbar!"

[Chi-Town Exile]

10. Great idea! It's pretty interesting ... the guy that runs the commission

is Jewish. He attends my synagogue. :eyes:

[RethugAssKicker]

12. Nope you won't be arrested... YOU'll Be SHOT !.... ... Guraranteed !

[AX10]

15. Isreal should have struck Cobb County.

They like Hezbollah deserve "it".

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. From the County that gave us the Lynching of Leo Frank

We should not be surprised. Hell, they named elementary schools after that pack of murderers...


http://www.cobbk12.org/~brumby/

http://www.atlantanation.com/leofrank.html

[RethugAssKicker]

13. and the first County to ban evolution from being taught in the

classrooms !