Court Rules Against Jesus Statue In Wisconsin Park.

A federal appeals court has ruled that a fifteen-foot marble statue of Jesus featured at a public park in Wisconsin is unconstitutional, despite the fact that the artwork is not directly on public property.

The case began in March 1998 when the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) asked city officials in Marsh field, Wis., to move the statue to private land. When the city refused, a lawsuit was filed. In an apparent effort to bolster their chances in court, officials then sold the religious figure and a tiny parcel of land beneath it to a local citizens group for $21,560.

The property transfer did not shield the city from its responsibility. In Freedom From Religion Foundation v. City of Marshfield, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously Feb. 4 that the layout of Praschak Wayside Park could lead "a reasonable person to conclude that the statue is a part of the public park and that the government, rather than a private entity, endorses religion."

FFRF attorney David Lasker was very pleased with the decision upholding church-state separation.

"This clear violation of the Establishment Clause was continuing despite a real estate transaction that nobody would have any reason to know about unless they were looking over the fine print of a document at the register of deeds," Lasker told the Associated Press.