Jay Sekulow celebrates legislative and court victories.

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Jay Sekulow celebrates legislative and court victories.

I could post similar celebratory messages from other Christian non-profit civil rights law firms.

In God We Trust? Yes!
Our National Motto, "In God We Trust," came under attack from Michael Newdow - but with the backing of ACLJ members, we filed a an amicus brief in support of 47 members of Congress asking a federal district court to dismiss the suit. We're pleased to report that the court agreed with the ACLJ.

If there is an appeal, we'll continue to fight for what is right. In the meantime, we thank our ACLJ members for supporting this effort and enabling this great victory!

On Pro-Life Protests: It's Unanimous
For more than two decades, we've been litigating a "R.I.C.O. case" brought by the National Organization for Women (N.O.W.) - and have taken the case to the Supreme Court of the United States on three separate occasions. Now the high court has ruled in our favor again - unanimously - declaring that the racketeering law intended to fight organized crime cannot be used against pro-life protesters. This is a huge and significant victory for the pro-life movement.

Partial-Birth Abortion: A New Review
The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear a second partial-birth abortion case, out of the Ninth Circuit, which will put all the issues surrounding partial-birth abortion front and center. In our amicus brief for the original case (out of Nebraska) already before the high court, we are representing members of Congress as well as ACLJ members who have signed a petition in support of our arguments. We will also file an amicus brief in the second case, out of California, representing members of Congress.

The combination of the two cases means that the Supreme Court may not only determine whether Congress acted appropriately in enacting the partial-birth abortion ban, but may also bring an end to the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion.

Progress on Public Display of the Ten Commandments
In a Kentucky case, the ACLU sued Mercer County, and a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the county, sharply criticizing the ACLU (calling its position "tiresome"). The ACLU decided not to appeal to the Supreme Court as a defensive measure.

In Utah, we successfully defended a small town that sold part of a city park containing a Ten Commandments monument to private owners as a means of avoiding removal of the monument - a common practice across the country as ACLU lawsuits proliferate. The Utah case is now on its way to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. And in Ohio, a U.S. District Court judge ruled in our favor against the ACLU on the constitutionality of a monument outside the Lucas County courthouse.

Stay Extended in Mt. Soledad Cross Case
San Diego's Mt. Soledad cross has been granted a permanent stay by Justice Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States. The stay, in place for the entire appeals process, not only supports all the hard work of our ACLJ team, it also sends a very strong message to the lower courts: The majority of the Supreme Court views the Mt. Soledad memorial to be constitutional.

Victories for Marriage
Courts in Connecticut, New York, Georgia, and Nebraska all ruled in favor of the traditional view of marriage. In a bold move, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court decision that had declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. That Act, which the ACLJ helped draft, was passed by Congress and said no state should be required to recognize a same-sex marriage from another state. Even the Massachusetts Supreme Court is supporting the right of citizens to vote on the definition of marriage, which should set back the redefinition agenda considerably.

aclj.org email today 7/19/06