ACLJ Asks Federal Court to Dismiss `In God We Trust' Lawsuit Filed Against Kansas County.Business Editors TOPEKA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 3, 2000 The American Center The American Center is a high-rise tower in Southfield, Michigan. It was built in 1975 and stands at 26 floors, with one basement floor, for a total of 27. The building's main use is that of a typical office tower. It also includes a parking garage and retail spaces. for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm, today asked a federal court in Topeka, Kansas to dismiss a lawsuit against the Treasurer of Shawnee County, Kansas Shawnee County (standard abbreviation: SN) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2000, its population was 169,871. It houses the capital of Kansas, Topeka, which is also the county seat. who has been sued by the ACLU ACLU: see American Civil Liberties Union. for displaying a sign in county offices that bears the nation's motto "In God We Trust." "It is our position that this lawsuit has no merit and we are asking the federal court to dismiss the suit," said Frank Manion, Senior Regional Counsel of the ACLJ ACLJ American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (Washington, DC) who is representing the County Treasurer. "The use of the motto `In God We Trust' is not only permissible, but constitutional as well. This lawsuit is merely an attempt by the ACLU to use the legal system to remove any vestige vestige /ves·tige/ (ves´tij) the remnant of a structure that functioned in a previous stage of species or individual development.vestig´ial ves·tige n. of religious expression from the marketplace - in this case banning the motto of the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, ." In responding to the ACLU lawsuit that was filed in August, the ACLJ today filed a motion to dismiss with the court on behalf of the County Treasurer. In September, the Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners voted to retain the services of the American Center for Law and Justice to defend the County Treasurer against the lawsuit. The ACLJ provides all of its legal services legal services n. the work performed by a lawyer for a client. - including its representation of Shawnee County - free of charge. "This is an important opportunity to clarify the proper understanding of the Establishment Clause," said Manion. "We are hopeful that the court will prevent the ACLU from censoring Shawnee County and permit the display of our nation's motto that has been at the heart of our national heritage for decades." "In God We Trust" appears on U.S. currency and has been the official U.S. motto since 1956. The American Center for Law and Justice specializes in First Amendment law and focuses on religious liberty issues and the constitutional protection of religious expression. The ACLJ has offices nationwide. The Web site address is www.aclj.org. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion