United States Fifth Circuit

In a case raising the question of whether the display of a Bible in a monument dedicated to a philanthropic citizen and located on the grounds of a county Civil Courthouse violated the Establishment Clause, an appeal from a judgment ordering the Bible removed is dismissed as moot where, days before oral argument in the en banc matter, the monument was placed in storage indefinitely and was no longer available for public viewing. Additionally, the county failed to show that it was entitled to the equitable relief of vacatur and the matter is remanded for an attorney's fees determination.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/24/2007
• Published 04/24/2007

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.