United States Fourth Circuit

In an action alleging violation of plaintiff's First Amendment rights arising from the imposition of a city policy requiring that legislative prayers be nondenominational, summary judgment for defendant-city council is affirmed where: 1) the prayers at issue are government speech, and thus the prayer policy does not violate plaintiff's Free Speech and Free Exercise rights; and 2) the requirement that the prayers be nondenominational does not violate the Establishment Clause.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/23/2008
• Published 07/23/2008

Judges

• Before SANDRA DAY O'CONNOR, Associate Justice (Retired), Supreme Court of the United States, sitting by designation, and MOTZ and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  R. Johan Conrod, Jr., Kaufman & Canoles, P.C., Norfolk, Virginia, for Appellant.  Robert Martin Rolfe, Hunton & Williams, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  J. Bradley Reaves, Kaufman & Canoles, P.C., Norfolk, Virginia;  James J. Knicely, Knicely & Associates, P.C., Williamsburg, Virginia, for Appellant.  Maya M. Eckstein, Terence J. Rasmussen, Thomas K. Johnstone, IV, Hunton & Williams, Richmond, Virginia;  Elliot M. Mincberg, Judith E. Schaeffer, People for the American Way Foundation, Washington, D.C., for Appellees.  Rebecca K. Glenberg, American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia Foundation, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, for Amicus Supporting Appellees.