Liberty Counsel
NEWS RELEASE

Contact: PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT - 800-671-1776

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 15, 2004

United States Supreme Court Announces Today That Ten Commandments Cases To Be Argued On March 2, 2005

Washington, D.C. - Today, the United States Supreme Court announced that the Ten Commandments cases will be argued on March 2, 2005 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. The Texas case of Van Orden v. Perry will be heard first followed by the Kentucky cases in McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky. Liberty Counsel represents both McCreay and Pulaski Counties in the Kentucky cases. Mathew D. Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, will present oral argument on behalf of the Kentucky counties.

The McCreary County case involves the Foundations of Law display in the McCreary and Pulaski County courthouses which includes the Ten Commandments along with nine other historical and legal documents contained in eleven equal-size frames. The display is a sampling of some of the documents that influenced American law and government. On December 8, Liberty Counsel filed a 50-page brief with the Supreme Court. The ACLU's brief is due in early January and Liberty Counsel's Reply Brief is due in late January or early February.

Last week, the United States of America filed an amicus brief in support of Liberty Counsel's arguments in the McCreary County case. Twenty-one states have also joined together to file amicus brief in support of the McCreary County case. These states include: AL, FL, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, OH, OK, NM, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WI and WY.

Staver stated, "We are very pleased that the United States of America and twenty-two states have weighed in on our side. This broad-based show of support reveals the broad impact a decision on the Ten Commandments will have on America and our shared religious heritage. There is no question that the Ten Commandments influenced our law and government. It is nonsense to suggest that public acknowledgments of religion in general, or of the Ten Commandments in particular, somehow establish a religion. To exclude the Ten Commandments from a display on law would be like eliminating stars and stripes from the Flag."