High court hears dispute over religious monument
Headline News
Supreme Court justices warily confronted a free speech dispute Wednesday over a small religious group's efforts to place a monument in a public park.
The justices seemed reluctant to accept the arguments put forth by the religious group known as the Summum that once a government accepts any donations for display in a public park, it must accept them all.
"Do we have to put any president who wants to be on Mt. Rushmore?" Chief Justice John Roberts asked.
Yet the court also was uncomfortable with the position of Pleasant Grove City, Utah, which rejected the Summum's request to erect a monument similar to a Ten Commandments display that has stood in the city's Pioneer Park since 1971.
Justice David Souter wondered how the city could accept the Ten Commandments display and then say, "'We will not on identical terms take the Summum monument because we don't agree with the message.' Why isn't that a First Amendment violation?"
The Salt Lake City-based Summum wants to erect its "Seven Aphorisms of Summum" monument in the park.
The Summum argued, and a federal appeals court agreed, that Pleasant Grove can't allow some private donations in its public park and reject others.
Related listings
-
Rail agency sues contractor over LA collision
Headline News 10/31/2008The Southern California Regional Rail Authority has filed a lawsuit against a contractor stemming from the deadly collision of one of its Metrolink commuter trains and a freight train on Sept. 12.The contractor, Connex Railroad, provides the engineer...
-
Court denies appeal of judge's sentencing goof
Headline News 10/07/2008The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from an Alabama man who was sentenced to five years in prison when a judge wrongly thought the law required him to serve time.U.S. District Judge William Steele didn't want to order Patrick Lett, a ...
-
Lawsuits likely over NYC mayor's bid for 3rd term
Headline News 10/02/2008Mayor Michael Bloomberg is almost certain to face a legal challenge if he tries to alter the city's term-limits law and seek four more years in office.Several lawyers and government watchdog groups said Wednesday they are mulling legal action to bloc...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.