United States Fifth Circuit

In a challenge to the constitutionality of a monument located on the grounds of a county courthouse, dedicated to a local citizen and containing an open bible, a judgment for plaintiff, an atheist, is affirmed where, applying the objective observer analysis, the monument as a whole had a predominantly religious purpose, and thus ran afoul of the Establishment Clause.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/15/2006
• Published 08/16/2006

Judges

• E. GRADY JOLLY, Circuit Judge:, Before JONES, Chief Judge, and KING, JOLLY, HIGGINBOTHAM, DAVIS, SMITH, WIENER, BARKSDALE, GARZA, DeMOSS, BENAVIDES, STEWART, DENNIS, CLEMENT, PRADO, and OWEN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Edward Lawrence White, III, Thomas More Law Center, Ann Arbor, MI, for Thomas More Law Center, Amicus Curiae., Douglas G. Smith, Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago, IL, for Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund, Amicus Curiae., Joel Lance Thollander, Susanna Dokupil, R. Ted Cruz (argued), Austin, TX, for State of Texas, Amicus Curiae., Benjamin David DuPre', Law Offices of Benjamin D. DuPre', Montgomery, AL, for Moral Law Inc., Amicus Curiae., Peter Dominick Lepiscopo, Law Offices of Peter D. Lepiscopo, San Diego, CA, for Pacific Justice Institute, Amicus Curiae., David Andrew Cortman, Alliance Defense Fund, Lawrenceville, GA, for Star of Hope Mission, Amicus Curiae., Joshua William Carden, Joshua Carden Law Firm P.C., Weatherford, TX, for Star of Hope Mission, William L. Mosher, Jr., William L. Mosher, III, Emily Elizabeth Mosher, Margaret L. Rosenlund, Ann Mosher Waldie and Christopher T. Jones, Amici Curiae., Kelly J. Shackelford, Liberty Legal Institute, Plano, TX, for William L. Mosher, Jr., Emily Elizabeth Mosher, Margaret L. Rosenlund, Ann Mosher Waldie and Liberty Legal Institute, Amici Curiae., David L. Hagen, Goshen, IN, pro se, Amicus Curiae., Steven W. Fitschen, National Legal Foundation, Virginia Beach, VA, for National Legal Foundation, Amicus Curiae., Sylvia Ann Mayer, Stephen Todd Loden, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Houston, TX, for Anti-Defamation League, Amicus Curiae., Michael F. Linz, Dallas, TX, Lisa S. Graybill, Austin, TX, for American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas, Amicus Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• Ayesha Khan, Richard Brian Katskee, Americans United for Separation of Church & State, Washington, DC, Randall L. Kallinen (argued), Houston, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee., Bruce S. Powers, Asst. County Atty., Frank Edward Sanders, Asst. County Atty., Michael Anthony Stafford, Asst. County Atty. (argued), Houston, TX, James C. Ho, Michael Sean Royall, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Dallas, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.