OPINION SPLIT OVER RULING'S WEIGHT ON SEAL.Byline: - Dana Bartholomew Opinion was split Monday on whether the Ten Commandments Ten Commandments or Decalogue [Gr.,=ten words], in the Bible, the summary of divine law given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They have a paramount place in the ethical system in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. rulings would have had a bearing on a decision by Los Angeles County supervisors to remove a tiny cross from the county seal. ``I think the issue is they didn't have to remove it,'' said Eugene Volokh, a free-speech professor at the UCLA School of Law The UCLA School of Law is the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. It is generally regarded as the top law school in Southern California, as well as one of the top fifteen law schools in the United States. . ``Here, like in the Texas case, the religious symbol was one of many items. ``In this context, it makes sense to acknowledge it as part of the city's (mission) history - one way or another, it would not be an endorsement of religion.'' Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. of Southern California, which had threatened to sue the county if it didn't remove the cross, said the Supreme Court rulings would have made no difference in their case. The justices ruled that the religious symbol must be connected to a secular purpose, said ACLU ACLU: see American Civil Liberties Union. Managing Attorney Peter Eliasberg. ``In the case of the Ten Commandments, it was our legal system.'' Eliasberg added that the ACLU case would have still prevailed based on a 9th Circuit appellate court A court having jurisdiction to review decisions of a trial-level or other lower court. An unsuccessful party in a lawsuit must file an appeal with an appellate court in order to have the decision reviewed. ruling that said the California Constitution forbids a cross on a government seal. |
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