Post by Watchman on Jun 22, 2007 15:17:55 GMT -5
Group says image violates separation of church, state
By Christine Harvey
Jesus has no place in Slidell City Court, says the Louisiana ACLU, which has asked court officials to remove his portrait from the lobby within a week or face the possibility that the organization will file a lawsuit to force the issue.
Several people have complained to the ACLU about the picture, and one has filed a written complaint, prompting the organization to intervene, said Joe Cook, the Louisiana chapter's executive director. The ACLU also wants the court to remove lettering beneath the portrait that says, "To know peace, obey these laws."
The organization sent a letter Wednesday to court officials saying the display violates the First Amendment and therefore must come down. Specifically, it violates the Establishment Clause, which holds that church and state must remain separate, the ACLU says. The organization says the portrait's presence in the court building serves to advance religion.
Cook said it would be impossible for the court to oblige every religious group with a similar display in the court's lobby, as there are more than 1,500 such groups in the United States. Therefore, the display has to go, he said.
"If you can't accommodate, you must separate," Cook said. "That's the beauty of the First Amendment."
Slidell City Court Judge Jim Lamz, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday, issued a statement through Ann Barks, a court spokeswoman. Barks noted that the display had been in place for several years.
"I was shocked and disappointed to receive the letter," Lamz said in the statement. "To my knowledge, no one has made a complaint. I'm disappointed the ACLU released their letter to the press either before or simultaneously to us, which indicates they're not interested so much in a resolution, but in confrontation and publicity."
Katie Schwartzmann, the ACLU attorney who wrote the letter, said the display conveys a religious message and instructs those who see it to obey Jesus' laws.
"The display is prominently placed in the lobby of the courthouse, such that every person entering the courthouse is subjected to it," Schwartzmann said. "Moreover, as an admonition hanging in a court of law, it clearly gives the impression that only believers in the law of Jesus Christ will receive justice in that courthouse."
The ACLU has given court officials until Wednesday to remove the display. Schwartzmann said the organization is prepared to file a lawsuit in the matter, but legal action could be avoided if the court cooperates.
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Christine Harvey can be reached at charvey@timespicayune.com or (985) 645-2853.