United States Sixth Circuit

In an Establishment Clause challenge to a city's building refurbishment program in which religious organizations were allowed to participate, judgment for Plaintiff is reversed, where the program allocated generally available benefits on a neutral basis and without a hidden agenda, and thus did not have the effect of advancing religion.

Appellate Information

• Decided 05/28/2009
• Published 05/28/2009

Judges

• Before:  KEITH, SUTTON, and GRIFFIN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Robert James Bruno, Robert J. Bruno, Burnsville, Minnesota, for Appellants.  Frederick A. Berg, Kotz, Sangster, Wysocki & Berg, P.C., Detroit, Michigan, Dale M. Schowengerdt, Alliance Defense Fund, Leawood, Kansas, for Appellees.  Richard Brian Katskee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Washington, D.C., Lowell V. Sturgill, Jr., United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Amici Curiae.   ON BRIEF:  Robert James Bruno, Robert J. Bruno, Burnsville, Minnesota, for Appellants.  Frederick A. Berg, Kotz, Sangster, Wysocki & Berg, P.C., Detroit, Michigan, Joel Lee Oster, Kevin H. Theriot, Alliance Defense Fund, Leawood, Kansas, for Appellees.  Lowell V. Sturgill, Jr., Robert M. Loeb, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., Jessica C. Abrahams, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Washington, D.C., Philip W. Horton, Arnold & Porter LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amici Curiae.