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NH Christians arrested, asked: ‘Where is your God now?’- 10.7.2009

HAMPTON, N.H. — Alliance Defense Fund allied attorneys filed suit Wednesday in federal court on behalf of two Christians arrested for sharing their faith and singing worship songs on a public sidewalk in the Hampton Beach area. Police arrested the two men, charging them under a state law against “unreasonable or loud” noise, but the law has not been used against other much louder activities in the very busy beach district, including bands sponsored by the village precinct to increase business in the area. Read more...

Participation in second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday more than doubles from last year- 10.5.2009

Eighty-three churches from 30 states and the District of Columbia participated in the Alliance Defense Fund’s second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday on Sept. 27. Pastors at those churches preached biblically-based sermons about the positions of electoral candidates and current government officials. More than twice the number of pastors participating in last year’s inaugural event exercised their constitutional right to free religious expression this year, despite a controversial rule often used by the Internal Revenue Service and activist groups to silence churches. Read more...

Texas judge declares state marriage law, state DOMA unconstitutional to hear same-sex ‘marriage’ suit- 10.2.2009

A Dallas judge ruled on Thursday to hear a “divorce" lawsuit between two men whose same-sex “marriage” was performed in Massachusetts, declaring the state marriage amendment and the state’s Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. The Texas Attorney General will appeal the ruling and Alliance Defense Fund attorneys are planning to file a friend-of-the-court brief opposing the Texas court’s ruling, which moves to recognize the men’s out-of-state same-sex “marriage” in defiance of the Texas Family Code and a voter-approved constitutional amendment recognizing marriage as between one man and one woman. Read more...

ADF: Ground won, lost against pro-abortion groups in suits challenging Ariz. law protecting women, children- 9.30.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys made gains in federal and state court Tuesday against pro-abortion groups seeking to block the enforcement of new legislation passed this year in Arizona to protect pregnant women and their children. The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona issued an order denying the Tucson Women's Center request for a preliminary injunction to stop an act passed this year to ensure that women have enough time and information before having an abortion. Meanwhile, even though the Arizona Superior Court for Maricopa County granted Planned Parenthood's preliminary injunction through an order keeping new state laws restricting abortion from taking effect today, ADF attorneys made headway in the first round of litigation. Read more...

Trashing free speech: Oregon State Univ. piles student paper's distribution bins next to dumpster- 9.30.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Oregon State University officials on behalf of the OSU Students Alliance, a recognized student organization that publishes an independent student paper. The paper, The Liberty, had its distribution bins - containing copies of the latest issue of the paper - confiscated without notice and thrown next to a dumpster by university officials, who claim they did so as part of an effort to beautify the campus. The numerous distribution bins of the other student newspaper, The Daily Barometer, were left untouched. Read more...

Federal government bans religious references on ornaments for 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree- 9.29.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent a letter to federal and state officials, including Arizona Governor Janice Brewer Monday, calling for them to stop enforcing a requirement prohibiting the state’s schoolchildren from expressing religious viewpoints through Christmas themes while decorating ornaments for the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree. Arizona was chosen this year to present 4,000 handcrafted ornaments made by elementary, middle-school, and high-school students to decorate Washington, D.C.’s annual Christmas tree. Read more...

Pastors ready for second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday on Sept. 27- 9.24.2009

More than 80 pastors nationwide will be participating in the Alliance Defense Fund’s second annual Pulpit Freedom Sunday on Sept. 27. The pastors will preach sermons related to biblical perspectives on the positions of electoral candidates or current government officials, exercising their constitutional right to free religious expression despite a problematic Internal Revenue Service rule that activists groups often use to silence churches. Read more...

ADF responds to attack by pro-abortion groups on Ariz. law protecting women- 9.22.2009

Two Arizona legislators together with doctors and numerous organizations filed motions Tuesday through their attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund to intervene as defendants in separate state and federal lawsuits aimed at tearing down new protections for women considering an abortion. Read more...

Court: City council violated rights of Kansas woman muzzled at public hearing- 9.17.2009

A federal court ruled Wednesday that the Mulvane City Council violated the First Amendment rights of a citizen thrown out of a public hearing when she attempted to respectfully express her moral concerns about a proposed gambling casino. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys represented Jacque Farnsworth, the Christian woman who was ushered out of the meeting even though people in favor of the casino project had been allowed to speak. Read more...

ADF: Bill to repeal DOMA demonstrates ongoing disregard for the American people- 9.16.2009

A bill introduced in Congress Tuesday that would repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act demonstrates the increasing amount of contempt America’s political leaders appear to have for the values of the people they serve, say attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, who argue that the DOMA is completely constitutional and in tune with the beliefs of Americans. ADF attorneys point out that repeal of the primary federal law that protects marriage opens the door for litigation that would seek to force states to recognize “marriages” between members of the same sex. Read more...

ADF attorneys submit motion to defend Calif. marriage amendment from new attack- 9.10.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are seeking to defend California’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman against a renewed legal attack. A recently amended lawsuit argues that a court should either toss out the amendment or declare that it does not apply to California marriages. Read more...

Churches sue city of Phoenix over ordinance prohibiting ringing of church bells- 9.2.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday against the city of Phoenix on behalf of three churches, claiming that a noise ordinance prohibiting the ringing of their bells is unconstitutional. St. Mark Roman Catholic Parish, First Christian Church, and Christ the King Liturgical Charismatic Church have challenged the vague noise ordinance because it offers an exemption for ice cream trucks but not for churches. Christ the King Church joined in the lawsuit after its pastor, Bishop Rick Painter, was sentenced to jail for violating a city ordinance for ringing his church’s bells as a way of praising God. Read more...

Lawsuit filed after Idaho commission bans all religious texts from curriculum- 9.1.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Idaho Public Charter School Commission on behalf of Nampa Classical Academy, which was threatened with the revocation of its charter if it utilizes the Bible or any other religious documents or text as part of its curriculum resources. Despite the fact that numerous public schools throughout the state and country constitutionally allow the objective study of the Bible as an educational resource, the commission will immediately proceed to revoke its charter if the school does not remove the religious text from its curriculum. Read more...

ADF backs marriage amendment in Wis. Supreme Court challenge- 8.27.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund submitted a friend-of-the-court brief Thursday to the Wisconsin Supreme Court on behalf of the Wisconsin Family Council in defense of the state’s marriage amendment, which a lower court upheld as constitutional. Read more...

NH court orders home-schooled child into government-run school- 8.26.2009

An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney filed motions with a New Hampshire court Monday asking it to reconsider and stay its decision to order a 10-year-old home-schooled girl into a government-run school in Meredith. Read more...

Federal court: Abortion ends human life, but not all humans are persons- 8.21.2009

A federal court ruled Thursday that portions of South Dakota’s informed consent law requiring doctors to tell women contemplating abortion that they are terminating a human life are constitutional. But the judge struck down a portion requiring doctors to inform women that they are terminating a legally protected relationship with an unborn human being on the basis that the preborn are not “persons.” Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund authored and filed a friend-of-the-court brief defending the law on behalf of the Family Research Council. Read more...

There they go again: Univ. of Wis. back in court over discrimination- 8.19.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the University of Wisconsin-Madison on behalf of a student group denied access to student fees because of the viewpoints it expresses. This is the sixth lawsuit against the University of Wisconsin system in which ADF has been involved. Read more...

ADF rebuts NY hospital’s claim that pro-life nurse can’t sue- 8.19.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys submitted a brief in federal court Monday in response to the claim of New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital that a pro-life nurse who sued the hospital has no right to defend herself in court. ADF filed suit after the hospital forced senior nurse Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo to participate in a late-term abortion procedure. Read more...

ADF to Idaho Public Charter School Commission: Bible is not a banned book- 8.13.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a legal memorandum Wednesday with the Idaho Public Charter School Commission on behalf of Nampa Classical Academy, which may have its charter denied by the commission if it goes ahead with its plan to use the Bible as an educational resource. Despite the commission’s objection, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently held that it is entirely constitutional for the Bible to be studied objectively as an educational resource. Read more...

ADF attorneys file suit against city of Cleveland over ‘domestic partner’ registry- 8.12.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of taxpayers against the city of Cleveland to challenge its “domestic partner registry,” which violates the Ohio Constitution. The new law gives cohabitating partners a legal recognition that is similar to that of married couples. Read more...

Massive extremist attacks on Christians spur ADF funding for legal defense project in India- 8.12.2009

The Alliance Defense Fund is providing new funding to defend the legal rights of Christians being harshly persecuted by Hindu extremists in India. The project, established by the Christian Legal Association, a national network of legal professionals in India affiliated with Advocates International, will employ seven attorneys, six activists, and 10 part-time volunteers to assist in putting an end to the violence by working together with public officials to enforce the law. Read more...

ADF attorneys advise Chesapeake officials regarding constitutionality of invocations- 8.4.2009

The Alliance Defense Fund together with The Family Foundation of Virginia sent a letter to Chesapeake Mayor Alan Krasnoff and other city officials Tuesday, offering to provide pro bono legal assistance if the city adopts a model prayer policy that subsequently gets attacked in court. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based atheist group, has threatened the city over its practice of opening public meetings with prayer. Read more...

ADF plans to appeal Okla. Ten Commandments case to U.S. Supreme Court- 7.31.2009

In a 6-to-6 decision, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit Thursday narrowly decided not to review a three-judge panel’s determination that a Ten Commandments display at the Haskell County, Oklahoma, Courthouse is unconstitutional. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund plan to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Read more...

Urgent lawsuit filed with Wis. Supreme Court to stop violation of marriage amendment- 7.23.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys together with allied attorneys representing Wisconsin Family Action board members filed an original action lawsuit with the Wisconsin Supreme Court Thursday to stop the governor and state legislature from skirting a voter-approved constitutional amendment protecting marriage. The lawsuit asks the high court to halt the state’s “domestic partnership” scheme because it creates a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage, which directly violates Article 13, Section 13, of the state constitution. Read more...

ADF, pro-family advocates request meeting with new U.S. attorney general over pornography- 7.17.2009

Alliance Defense Fund President, CEO, and General Counsel Alan Sears and nearly 400 other pro-family advocates across the nation sent a joint letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Wednesday, urging him to meet with them to discuss expanding the administration’s efforts to fight illegal, obscene pornography on a national level. Read more...

ADF attorney to testify before Mass. Legislature on ‘hate crimes’ bill for the sexually confused- 7.13.2009

Alliance Defense Fund Legal Counsel Tim Tracey will be available for media interviews Tuesday following his testimony before the Massachusetts Legislature at a public hearing on H.B. 1728, titled “An Act Relative to Gender Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes.” Read more...

ADF attorney to testify before WV Legislature on need for marriage amendment- 7.13.2009

Alliance Defense Fund Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence will be available for media interviews Tuesday following his testimony before the West Virginia Legislature on the need for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Lorence will stress to the legislature that West Virginia voters should have the opportunity to vote on whether to amend the state constitution since the state’s Defense of Marriage Act is not sufficient to guard against legal attacks on marriage. Read more...

NY nurse threatened, forced to assist in late-term abortion- 7.22.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Mount Sinai Hospital on behalf of a Catholic nurse who was forced to participate in a late-term abortion under the threat of disciplinary action, including possible termination and loss of her license. The hospital has known of her religious objections to abortion since 2004. Read more...

Importance of Europe’s ‘Roe v. Wade’ case grows exponentially with elevation in status- 7.13.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys defending legal protections for pre-born children in Ireland at the European Court of Human Rights say the importance of the case has grown exponentially with the court’s decision to move the case to its Grand Chamber. Cases decided in the Grand Chamber are binding on all lower chambers and on all member states. A decision in the case will set an official policy on the issue for Europe. Read more...

3rd Circuit: NJ ministry will be heard on right to use property according to beliefs- 7.17.2009

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit ruled Wednesday that a New Jersey ministry represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys should have its First Amendment claims heard in federal district court. Read more...

Free speech forbidden in ‘free speech area’ at Georgia Southern Univ.- 7.13.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Monday against Georgia Southern University officials on behalf of a Christian man arrested for sharing his faith in the campus’s “free speech area.” A university official and campus police officer told the man that he needed to apply for a permit to exercise his free speech rights before he was eventually thrown in jail. Read more...

More than reaching the bar: ADF-allied attorneys honored for dedicated service- 6.30.2009

The Alliance Defense Fund honored six allied attorneys last week that have provided thousands of hours of dedicated, pro-bono service in defense of religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family. The value of those hours amounts to millions of dollars in free legal services that they have provided to clients in need. Read more...

ADF seeks to challenge order requiring FDA to disregard parental rights- 6.29.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys together with attorney Charles Holster of Mineola have filed a motion to intervene to challenge a federal court order that requires the Food and Drug Administration to allow the Plan B drug, which many doctors believe can cause an abortion, to be sold over the counter to minors. The motion was filed on behalf of Concerned Women for America, the Christian Medical and Dental Association, and Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International, who contend that the order disregards parental rights and the safety of minors. Read more...

New hotline for Wash. Referendum 71 supporters who encounter retaliation- 6.24.2009

Wednesday the Alliance Defense Fund opened a free telephone hotline (1-800-655-6592) and Web page (www.telladf.org/r71) for Washingtonians who believe they have credible reports of retaliation against them because of their support of Referendum 71. Referendum 71 is a citizen initiative that would allow voters to decide on a state senate bill that makes marriage and “registered domestic partnerships” effectively the same except in name. Read more...

CLS, ADF appeal lawsuit against U. of Mont. School of Law- 6.19.2009

Attorneys with the Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law & Religious Freedom and the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit Thursday in a case filed against the University of Montana School of Law by the Christian Legal Society and its student chapter at the school. Read more...

Fla. school district singles out church VBS fliers for censorship- 6.18.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit in federal court Tuesday after the Collier County School Board rejected a church’s attempt to participate in a flier distribution program open to other community groups. The board refused to allow Cypress Wood Presbyterian Church to advertise its upcoming Vacation Bible School because of the religious nature of the event even though the school district has allowed fliers from other religious and non-religious community groups. Read more...

ADF appeals DC board’s faulty decision to deny vote on same-sex ‘marriage’- 6.17.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics on behalf of Bishop Harry R. Jackson and other D.C. voters, challenging its vote Monday to deny the people a say on the city council’s decision to recognize same-sex “marriages” from other jurisdictions. In the suit, ADF attorneys point out that the board disregarded a previous court ruling when rejecting a referendum that would allow voters to decide the matter. Read more...

ADF attorneys consider appeal of Ten Commandments ruling- 6.9.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are reviewing possible options for appeal after a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit Monday reversed a lower court decision that upheld the constitutionality of a Ten Commandments display at the Haskell County, Oklahoma, Courthouse. The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit to have the monument removed on behalf of a man who claims he was offended by it. Read more...

ADF: U.S. Supreme Court should stop ACLU’s attacks on veterans’ memorials- 6.8.2009

A brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday asks the court to reject the contention of the American Civil Liberties Union that veterans’ memorials in the form of crosses are unconstitutional. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, Advocates for Faith and Freedom, and the American Legion Department of California filed the friend-of-the-court brief, which argues for the lifting of a court order that covered a cross-shaped veterans’ memorial in California’s Mojave Desert with a large box. Read more...

WV high court renders moms, dads unimportant in adoption cases- 6.5.2009

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Friday reversed a lower court’s order to place a 15-month old foster child with a married family in accordance with state law. According to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, the court’s ruling essentially elevated the desires of two cohabitating women who wanted to adopt the child over the state’s adoption law and the judge’s legal discretion to rule within the bounds of it. The two women were temporarily providing foster care without any guarantee of adoption. Read more...

Phoenix bishop sentenced to jail for ringing church bells- 6.3.2009

A Phoenix bishop received a suspended sentence of 10 days in jail and three years probation Wednesday for violating a Phoenix noise ordinance because his church rang its bells hourly as a way of praising God. The ordinance does not include an exemption for religious worship, though it does provide an exemption for ice cream trucks. Bishop Rick Painter of Cathedral of Christ the King has retained attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund to pursue legal options to defend his rights. Read more...

ADF to activist group: Stop threatening Maine diocese over marriage- 5.29.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent a letter to the San Diego-based Empowering Spirits Foundation Thursday on behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine, urging it to cease filing frivolous and factually flawed IRS complaints as a way of intimidating organizations that believe in protecting marriage. Read more...

Proposition 8 defenders seek to intervene against Hollywood-backed lawsuit- 5.29.2009

The official proponents and campaign committee for Proposition 8, ProtectMarriage.com, filed a motion to intervene Thursday in federal court against a new Hollywood-backed lawsuit designed to tear down California’s voter-approved marriage amendment, upheld by the California Supreme Court just three days ago. ProtectMarriage.com is represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and ADF-allied attorney Andrew Pugno. Read more...

ADF joins memorandum calling for stem cell researchers to ‘do no harm’- 5.28.2009

The Alliance Defense Fund joined with other pro-life organizations Tuesday to submit a memorandum to the National Institutes of Health on the scientific and ethical repercussions of proposed guidelines on human embryonic stem cell research. The memorandum is in response to the NIH’s request for public comment on proposed guidelines that will establish policy and procedures for funding research on human embryonic stem cells derived from embryos created by in vitro fertilization. Read more...

ADF on Supreme Court nomination: Judges should always rule according to the law- 5.26.2009

With President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund reiterated their position on all judicial appointments: that true justice is only achieved when judges rule according to the law and the Constitution and do not legislate from the bench. Read more...

La. Supreme Court rejects hospital’s appeal in nurse’s rights of conscience lawsuit- 5.20.2009

The Louisiana Supreme Court Friday declined to hear an appeal by St. Tammany Parish Hospital in a nurse’s lawsuit filed by ADF attorneys and an ADF-allied attorney. A trial judge had ruled against issuing summary judgment in favor of the hospital, so that decision will stand. The nurse, Toni Lemly, sued the hospital in 2005 after it refused to grant a reasonable accommodation for her religious beliefs. Read more...

ADF attorneys file brief with U.S. Supreme Court supporting ‘Choose Life’ plates- 5.19.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a friend-of-the-court brief Tuesday with the U.S. Supreme Court in Choose Life Illinois v. White. The brief asks the court to review an appellate court’s decision denying Choose Life Illinois’ members the right to produce a specialty license plate with the slogan “Choose Life,” as part of a state program, because the words had been deemed too “controversial.” Read more...

ADF attorneys file second appeal involving German ‘sex education’ program- 5.19.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys are representing two German parents in an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights filed Thursday. The two parents were convicted under German law when they chose to educate their child at home on the subject of sexuality rather than allow her to participate in a four-day “sexual education” course and related stage production at her school, both of which taught views of sexuality in conflict with the family’s Christian faith. ADF attorneys are already representing two other parents who were also convicted in the same way. Read more...

NH gov's proposed revisions to marriage redefinition bill fail religious freedom test- 5.18.2009

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch and same-sex “marriage” supporters insist that proposed revisions to legislation that would make New Hampshire the sixth state to redefine marriage will not infringe on religious liberties. But ADF attorneys argue that Lynch’s added protections--and the anticipated concession by the drafters--is merely smoke and mirrors geared to divert attention from the fact that recognizing same-sex “marriage” in the Granite State would open up a Pandora’s Box of new attacks on religious freedom. Read more...

NY woman arrested for sharing faith in public park files suit against Oyster Bay- 5.18.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Friday on behalf of Jews for Jesus against the town of Oyster Bay, where a Christian woman was arrested for verbally sharing her faith and distributing literature at an outdoor public concert. Twice, Oyster Bay’s permit-for-free-speech ordinance has been ruled unconstitutional, and an ADF-allied attorney secured a dismissal of the town’s charges against the woman in March. Read more...

Defense of Ariz. tax credit program continues- 5.15.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed an appeal Thursday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on behalf of the Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization. In the appeal to a larger panel of the court, ADF attorneys argue that Arizona’s tuition tax credit program, which allows state residents to claim a tax credit for donations to private organizations that provide scholarships to private schools, is fully consistent with the Constitution because individual, private choices--not government action--cause money to flow to the schools. Read more...

ADF files suit against radical group that invaded Mich. church- 5.13.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit in federal court Wednesday against a radical anarchist group that openly advocates the use of riots and crime to further its views in favor of homosexual behavior. ADF attorneys filed the suit on behalf of Delta Township’s Mount Hope Church against the group “Bash Back!,” which invaded the church’s building during a worship service on Nov. 9 of last year. Read more...

ADF attorneys ask for free speech to be restored at U.S. national parks- 5.11.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a notice of appeal Monday with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Boardley v. Department of Interior, asking the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review federal regulations that require even individuals to apply for a permit before exercising their First Amendment rights in designated areas of national parks across the country. ADF filed the lawsuit on behalf of a Minnesota man prohibited from passing out religious literature near the visitor’s center at Mt. Rushmore National Park. Read more...

Court: ADF to defend Prop. 8, federal DOMA- 5.8.2009

A federal court entered an order granting Alliance Defense Fund attorneys a motion to intervene Thursday on behalf of ProtectMarriage.com in a lawsuit waged by two men against the United States and the state of California to eliminate California’s state constitutional amendment protecting marriage and the federal Defense of Marriage Act. ADF attorneys filed a motion to intervene last month to defend the intended definition of marriage in a suit alleging that the passage of both Proposition 8 and DOMA violates the U.S. Constitution. Read more...

City of Cleveland warned to discontinue unconstitutional ‘domestic partner registry’ - 5.7.2009

An ADF-allied attorney sent a letter Thursday to City of Cleveland Law Director Robert J. Triozzi, asking him to stop the city’s newly enacted “domestic partnership registry,” which violates the Ohio Constitution. Read more...

ADF files brief in defense of Boy Scouts at U.S. Supreme Court - 5.6.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and Thomas More Law Center filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday with the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of the Boy Scouts of America, challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union for maintaining and beautifying parks leased from the city of San Diego. The brief asks the court to consider the impact of such lawsuits on the ability of faith-based groups to provide non-religious services that have greatly benefitted cities and communities since the founding of the nation. Read more...

Slovak Republic faces lawsuit after police clamp-down on pro-life rally - 5.4.2009

The Centre for Bio-ethical Reform Europe filed suit Thursday in the highest court of the Slovak Republic after police put an end to a peaceful pro-life rally that was held in full compliance with domestic law. CBR Europe, represented by attorney Dr. Alan Bohm and Alliance Defense Fund attorneys, held its “Stop Genocide” rally to inform people about the atrocities of genocide, including abortion, but Slovak police asserted the signs displayed by participants were too graphic for the general public. Read more...

Court puts hold on flawed policy in ‘In God We Trust’ school censorship case - 5.1.2009

A federal court Friday suspended a policy used by Wilson County Schools officials to censor “In God We Trust” and other phrases referencing God and prayer on posters in the hallways of Lakeview Elementary School. The court determined that parents and students represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys who filed suit against the school board are likely to succeed in their claims and ordered the policy halted while the case moves forward in court. Read more...

ADF: U.S. Senate should not pass ‘hate crimes’ bill- 5.1.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys warn that the U.S. Senate should not pass H.R. 1913, the so-called ‘hate crimes’ bill. If it becomes law, ADF attorneys say the bill could severely impede Americans’ constitutional rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression while creating additional legal protections for those engaged in homosexual behavior that are not available to everyone else. Read more...

ADF offers to defend Orange County policy preventing public funds from subsidizing abortionists- 4.30.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have offered to defend the Orange County Board of Supervisors pro bono in the event it faces any threats of legal action by Planned Parenthood or similar pro-abortion groups over a new policy the board passed Tuesday restricting certain county funds from being used for abortions. Read more...

3rd Circuit says Penn. pro-life counselors deserve their day in court- 4.28.2009

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit reversed a federal judge’s decision against two pro-life advocates Monday, saying that the two men deserve to have their cases considered by a jury. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys represent Edward Snell and John McTernan, who were arrested and threatened with arrest, respectively, for exercising their First Amendment rights in a public alley next to a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. Read more...

ADF attorneys ask Montana Supreme Court to stop assisted suicide- 4.28.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday with the Montana Supreme Court that asks for the reversal of a lower court ruling that found a “right” to physician-assisted suicide in the Montana Constitution. ADF filed its brief on behalf of the Family Research Council, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Catholic Medical Association, and numerous Montana physicians. Read more...

Prosecution of German Parents Has Ominous Implications for U.S. Families- 4.28.2009

Ordinarily, I keep the focus of these columns on court cases and litigation based here in the United States. But anyone keenly watching the political skies has to realize that legal clouds are gathering dark and fast over other parts of the world – particularly Europe – and those clouds, sooner than we want to think, will be precipitating undesirable judicial activity on this side of the Atlantic. Read more...

Park ban is no picnic for Fla. church- 4.24.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of St. Faustina Old Catholic Church against the city of Pensacola after a police officer ordered the church’s pastor to cease holding picnics at a popular historic public park downtown. Police declared Plaza Ferdinand VII a "non-event park," even though no city ordinances designate it as such, and public access and events occur there on a regular basis. Read more...

Proposed policy would protect conscience rights of Iowa county recorder employees- 4.22.2009

A letter issued by the Alliance Defense Fund and the Iowa Family Policy Center Wednesday offers free legal defense by ADF attorneys to county recorder offices that adopt a policy protecting employee rights of conscience. The policy would protect objecting employees from being forced to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples if doing so would violate the employee’s conscience. Read more...

Parents appeal conviction for protecting daughter from German ‘sex education’ program- 4.21.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys are representing two German parents in an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights filed Tuesday. The two parents were convicted under German law when they chose to educate their child at home on the subject of sexuality rather than allow her to participate in a four-day “sexual education” course and related stage production at her school, both of which taught views of sexuality in conflict with the family’s Christian faith. Read more...

Churchgoers given no place to go- 4.21.2009

Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney Daniel P. Dalton will be available for media interviews Wednesday following a hearing in the lawsuit Grace Community Church v. Lenox Township, which seeks to return a congregation back to its building. Dalton is asking the court to stop Lenox Township from imposing unlawful, discriminatory, and burdensome requirements upon the church in violation of federal law. Read more...

Stakes Are Rising in States Falling for Homosexual Political Agenda- 4.21.2009

It wouldn't surprise Professor Harold Hill to learn they've got Trouble in Iowa – but the problem's now considerably worse than pool tables and "dime novels hidden in a corn crib." Read more...

ADF attorneys seek to defend Calif., federal definitions of marriage- 4.13.2009

On behalf of the official proponents and campaign committee of the California constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, Alliance Defense Fund attorneys submitted a motion to intervene Friday in a lawsuit that seeks to eliminate the California amendment as well as the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The new lawsuit alleges that both violate the U.S. Constitution. Read more...

Vt. Legislature says OK to imposing system that deprives children of mom, dad- 4.7.2009

The Vermont Legislature Tuesday overrode Gov. Jim Douglas’s veto of legislation that fabricates same-sex “marriage” in the state, which was the first state to implement “civil unions” in 2000. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund say that the legislation is a textbook rebuttal of the argument that “civil unions” are a satisfactory compromise to protect marriage. Read more...

E. Mich. Univ. ousts student for not affirming homosexual behavior- 4.3.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a lawsuit against Eastern Michigan University Thursday after school officials dismissed a student from the school’s counseling program for not affirming homosexual behavior as morally acceptable. The school dismissed Julea Ward from the program because she would not agree prior to a counseling session to affirm a client’s homosexual behavior and would not retract her stance in subsequent disciplinary proceedings. Read more...

Iowa Supreme Court rules to redefine marriage- 4.3.2009

The Iowa Supreme Court struck down the state’s Defense of Marriage Act in a ruling Friday that declared it to be in conflict with the state constitution. ADF attorneys represent Iowa state legislators who filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the high court in defense of the act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman--the same definition that has existed for the entire history of the state. Read more...

NY’s highest court agrees to hear same-sex ‘marriage’ recognition suits- 3.31.2009

The New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, agreed Tuesday to hear two appeals filed by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund in lawsuits against officials who have attempted to recognize out-of-state same-sex “marriages” in contradiction to state law. Read more...

ADF: Vt. governor on firm ground to veto same-sex ‘marriage’ bill- 3.31.2009

Vt. Gov. Jim Douglas is on firm ground to veto a same-sex “marriage” bill if it passes the state legislature, according to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund. Vermont currently allows “civil unions” between members of the same sex, but not marriage. Read more...

ADF willing to defend Ohio county’s adoption policy if reinstated- 3.30.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have offered to defend a Butler County adoption policy if it is reinstated by the county’s board of commissioners. In a letter to the board Thursday, ADF attorneys explained that the policy, which lists in order the types of adoptive parents the county will consider when placing children for adoption, is completely constitutional, contrary to the opinion of the American Civil Liberties Union. Read more...

ADF: Hawaii ‘civil unions’ bill was bad attempt to undermine marriage - 3.27.2009

A proposed “civil unions” bill, which failed to pass a Hawaii Senate committee Thursday, was a failed attempt to skirt the state’s constitutional amendment protecting marriage, according to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund. The bill failed to obtain the necessary number of votes to be forced from the Judiciary and Government Operations Committee for a full Senate vote. Read more...

Village’s discriminatory rental fee forces Mich. church to stop meeting - 3.27.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday on behalf of Forest Area Bible Church after unfair rental fees imposed by the village of Fife Lake forced the congregation to stop meeting in a local building. While religious organizations are charged by the village, many non-religious community groups are permitted to meet free of charge. Read more...

School rules out religion: Atlanta Public Schools challenged after blocking club - 3.26.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a complaint Wednesday against the Atlanta Public Schools on behalf of a student and his mother. The two claim their constitutional rights have been violated by school officials who have repeatedly denied their Christian club access to the same rights, benefits, and privileges given to all other student clubs at Sutton Middle School. Read more...

FEMA denies debris clean-up to Ark. church that aided FEMA, storm victims - 3.26.2009

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied storm debris clean-up to a Paragould church whose property the agency used for its debris clean-up efforts in the community and despite the efforts of church members to assist with the clean-up after recent ice storms. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent a letter to FEMA officials on behalf of the church Wednesday. Read more...

Disabled children lose fight against ACLU - 3.25.2009

The American Civil Liberties Union won its fight against disabled children Wednesday when the Arizona Supreme Court struck down a state program that allowed special needs kids to use vouchers at private schools so that they could receive the best educational opportunities. ADF attorneys joined attorneys from the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe last year in submitting a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of a Christian school in defense of the voucher program, which was upheld by the Arizona Court of Appeals. Read more...

ADF: Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial cross is constitutional - 3.25.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in defense of a 55-year-old cross located at the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial. The American Civil Liberties Union and its allies are challenging the constitutionality of the cross, which is located on federal land at the memorial. ADF attorneys represent The American Legion Department of California in the case. Read more...

ADF poised to defend three pro-life bills signed by Utah governor - 323..2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have sent letters to Utah Reps. Paul Ray and Carl Wimmer offering free legal representation to defend key abortion law amendments from any legal attacks waged by pro-abortion advocacy groups. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., signed bills HB 90, HB 222, and HB 114 Friday to provide new protections for viable preborn children, require abortionists to provide women with sufficient prenatal information, and establish a fund for defense of the legislation. Read more...

Serbian Parliament to vote on ‘non-discrimination’ law - 3.18.2009

The Serbian Parliament will debate and vote on a so-called “non-discrimination” law Wednesday, but religious organizations and churches represented in part by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund point out that the proposed law will actually clash with existing fundamental rights of religious freedom and religious expression. Read more...

National Day of Prayer Under Attack - 3.17.2009

Apparently, just the idea of people praying right out loud in public is enough to drive some people crazy. And the thought that a whole nation of people – tens of thousands in cities and on school campuses and in churches and kitchens and living rooms all over America – might be praying more or less together, on the same day, for the same things, is enough to bring some people … well, to their knees. Read more...

ADF appeals ruling that continues to allow two hours of 'free speech' per week at SLU - 3.12.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have appealed a judge's decision to allow Southeastern Louisiana University to enforce its permit requirement and two-hours-per-week "free speech" policy against a Christian speaker while his lawsuit against the school continues. Read more...

Penn. police officer punished for upholding the law- 3.12.2009

ADF-allied attorneys filed a lawsuit against officials of Kutztown University and its police chief Monday on behalf of a police officer who refused to violate the constitutional rights of a group of Christians peacefully communicating on various issues on campus. As a result of Corporal Steven Armbruster's objection to forcefully removing them from the campus, the Kutztown Univ. Police Dept. suspended him without pay for five days, issued him a disciplinary letter, and threatened him with termination if he takes a similar stand in the future. Read more...

Wash. college students threatened with expulsion for 'discriminatory' pro-life message- 3.11.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a lawsuit Monday against Community Colleges of Spokane and Spokane Falls Community College officials for violating the constitutional rights of pro-life students. SFCC officials threatened Beth Sheeran and members of a Christian student group with disciplinary measures, including expulsion, if they chose to hold a pro-life event on campus to share information with other students because the message was "discriminatory" and did not include a pro-abortion viewpoint. Read more...

ADF attorneys ask U.S. Supreme Court to hear ‘Truth’ case- 3.10.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday asking the justices to review a case involving Christian students who continue to be denied their constitutional rights. Since September of 2001, officials at Kentridge High School in Seattle have refused to grant official recognition to the Truth Bible Club because they require their members to hold certain religious beliefs. Read more...

ADF: Court should reinstate Fla. statute protecting adopted children- 3.10.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have filed a friend-of-the-court brief with a Florida appellate court on behalf of the American College of Pediatricians. The brief asks the court to reverse a trial court decision that struck down a law requiring the government to place the interests of children ahead of the desire of same-sex couples to adopt. Read more...

Illinois High School Association: Private schools can’t pray before games- 3.4.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys urged the Illinois High School Association in a letter sent Wednesday to terminate its policy banning private schools from praying or delivering religious messages over public address systems before IHSA tournament games hosted at private schools. ADF attorneys also offered the IHSA free legal representation in the event it is sued for rescinding its new rule if it decides to do so. Read more...

NY’s Broome Community College shuts door on everyone to keep church out- 3.4.2009

Just two days after attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit so that churches can rent facilities at Broome Community College in the same way that other groups are allowed to, the college’s executive council has voted to prevent anyone from renting the school’s facilities on weekends. Read more...

Tenn. school censors ‘God Bless the USA,’ ‘In God We Trust’- 3.3.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of parents and students at Lakeview Elementary School in Wilson County after school officials ordered “God Bless the USA,” “In God We Trust,” and other phrases referencing God and prayer to be covered up on posters before they could be displayed in the school’s hallways. The posters were hand-drawn by students and their families to announce “See You at the Pole,” a voluntary, student-led prayer event held outside of class time. Read more...

ADF: Activists filing lawsuit against DOMA want judge to redefine marriage for everyone - 3.3.2009

A lawsuit filed by a handful of same-sex couples represented by a homosexual activist group is seeking to have a judge redefine marriage for the entire country, according to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare portions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, unconstitutional. Read more...

NY’s Broome Community College sweeps church off campus - 2.24.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit Monday on behalf of North Pointe Church against the Broome Community College board of directors and administrators after school officials enforced a policy banning groups that engage in “religious services and observances.” College officials gave the church two weeks’ notice that it was being forced out of its regularly rented facility by March. Read more...

ADF attorneys appeal ruling against student groups at San Diego State University- 2.23.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom have appealed a federal court’s ruling against Christian student organizations at San Diego State University, arguing that university officials infringed on the First Amendment rights of the student groups. Read more...

ADF attorneys advise La Crosse officials regarding constitutionality of invocations- 2.17.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent an informational letter offering to provide pro bono legal assistance to La Crosse Common Council officials Thursday if the city adopts a model prayer policy that subsequently gets attacked in court. Read more...

Religious Freedom at Risk on Tax-funded College Campuses- 2.16.2009

Jonathan Lopez is working toward an associate of arts degree at Los Angeles City College in California. One of his required classes: Public Speaking. The additional lesson in his free speech rights was not something he anticipated. Read more...

Court reminds Ithaca police: Noise ordinance silencing Christian speech still unconstitutional- 2.13.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys received a favorable judgment against the city of Ithaca Thursday after filing suit when city police officers told Jim Deferio that he couldn't share his faith at Ithaca Commons, even after showing the officers a court order prohibiting them from enforcing an unconstitutional "noise" ordinance. Read more...

ADF attorneys seek appeal in NY same-sex "marriage" recognition suits- 2.12.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed documents Wednesday seeking to appeal separate lawsuits against New York officials for attempting to recognize out-of-state same-sex "marriages" in contradiction to state law. ADF attorneys are arguing in Lewis v. New York State Department of Civil Service that the department illegally redefined the term "spouse" in order to extend marriage benefits to same-sex couples "wed" outside the state. In Godfrey v. Spano, ADF attorneys argue that Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano illegally ordered county agencies to recognize out-of-state same-sex "marriages." read more...

Calif. professor to student: "Ask God what your grade is"- 2.12.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a lawsuit against officials of the Los Angeles Community College District Wednesday. The lawsuit comes after a professor censored and threatened to expel a student following a speech about marriage and his Christian faith during an open-ended assignment in a public speaking class. read more...

NJ town: Permit required to exercise free speech- 2.10.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have filed suit in federal court on behalf of a New Jersey Christian man told he could not distribute literature on a public sidewalk without a permit. ADF attorneys also filed a motion Tuesday asking the court to halt the permit scheme while the man pursues his case against the city of Wildwood. read more...

NY school district refuses to recognize Bible club- 2.5.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday after Lindenhurst Union Free School District officials repeatedly refused to grant official recognition to a student-run Bible club. read more...

Mass. law restricting speech around abortion clinics challenged on appeal- 1.27.2009

An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney together with ADF attorneys have filed a brief on behalf of pro-life advocates in federal appellate court against a Massachusetts law that creates a 35-foot “buffer” zone around abortion clinics. The brief argues that the law essentially eliminates free speech rights within the zone by restricting pro-life advocates from sharing their message with people entering the clinics. read more...

In Arkansas, The Battle To Protect Children Goes On- 1.27.2009

It was popularly referenced as Act I – an initiative heartily endorsed (57-43 percent) by Arkansas voters last November that would make it illegal for unmarried couples – all unmarried couples – to adopt children in that state. read more...

No choice: Doctors forced to perform abortions or else? - 1.22.2009

Attorneys with the Christian Legal Society and the Alliance Defense Fund filed motions to intervene Wednesday in three lawsuits that seek to invalidate a federal law protecting medical professionals from discrimination because they refuse to participate in abortions. Three pro-life medical associations are seeking to defend the law against challenges by some state officials, Planned Parenthood, and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. read more...

ADF attorneys ask court to place child with married couple- 1.21.2009

The Alliance Defense Fund and the Family Policy Council of West Virginia submitted a friend-of-the-court brief Tuesday to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals asking the court to place a 14-month-old foster child with a married family. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources had temporarily placed the child with a same-sex couple, but that couple now claims that their desire to adopt the child is more important than the department's effort to place the child in a family with a mom and dad as state law requires. read more...

ADF Moves To Protect Californians Who Supported Proposition 8- 1.20.2009

California's campaign finance laws probably seemed like a good idea when first enacted. To keep the election process transparent, the state requires a public record of anyone who supports a political campaign, even if their gift is as relatively small as $100. The problem is that the records, posted on the Secretary of State's website, lists not only these donors' names, but their place of employment and other personal information. read more...

ADF seeks to defend Ark. voter-approved act protecting adopted children - 1.19.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a motion to intervene Friday on behalf of the Family Council Action Committee to join the state of Arkansas in defending against a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. ACLU attorneys representing same-sex couples allege the state’s Act 1, which voters passed in last year’s November election to promote the best interests of children, is unconstitutional because it allegedly discriminates against unmarried cohabiting adults. read more...

ADF attorneys submit brief defending Proposition 8- 1.15.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys submitted a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the Family Research Council Thursday in defense of California’s marriage amendment. The brief demonstrates that the authority to amend the constitution in California resides with the people and that this was legitimately done by the people in the passage of Proposition 8. read more...

ADF: Marriage amendment needed in Maine more than ever- 1.15.2009

A marriage amendment is needed more than ever in the state of Maine, according to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, as legislators added to their agenda Tuesday a bill that would redefine marriage as a union between two “people.” The bill would do away with the state’s time-honored definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman and would recognize same-sex “marriages” from other states. read more...

ADF memo urges European Parliament to reject resolution on social policy- 1.14.2009

The Alliance Defense Fund submitted a legal memo to members of the European Parliament, the advisory body to the European Union, Tuesday urging it to vote against a resolution on social policy introduced by a communist member. The proposed resolution promotes same-sex “partnerships,” abortion, and censorship of moral expressions on homosexual behavior. read more...

ADF attorneys file suit to stop harassment of Calif. marriage amendment supporters - 1.8.2009

Alliance Defense Fund allied attorneys together with ADF attorneys filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of ProtectMarriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage California to prevent harassment of citizens who gave as little as $100 to support Proposition 8. The lawsuit documents incidents of harassment and retaliation by opponents who have targeted Proposition 8 supporters after their identities and employers were made public by the state as required by California campaign finance law. read more...

ADF: Court should reject ACLU demand to end popular school program - 1.6.2009

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday on behalf of Associated Churches of Huntington County in defense of the county's school district. A parent represented by the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit seeking to prevent eight of the county's elementary schools from continuing to allow a non-taxpayer-funded religious education program to meet on campus. read more...

Univ. of Wis. Hospitals secret plan to perform second-trimester abortions unveiled - 1.6.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund sent a letter to University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Tuesday, asking that the institution refrain from implementing its secret and potentially illegal plans to perform second-trimester abortions in a jointly-operated clinic. The plan would likely compel unwilling employees to aid or participate in dismembering preborn babies, which would violate their religious conscience rights and may constitute an unlawful state funding of abortion. read more...

ADF defends Wis. marriage amendment against renewed attack - 1.2.2009

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday on behalf of the Wisconsin Family Council to protect the Wisconsin marriage amendment after an appeal was filed challenging its constitutionality. read more...

ADF-allied attorneys prepared to challenge Luxembourg assisted suicide law if passed - 12.10.2008

The Alliance Defense Fund is mobilizing efforts to judicially challenge a Luxembourg assisted suicide law if passed by the country's parliament. ADF-allied attorneys are willing to offer pro bono legal assistance to physicians willing to bring suit regarding the constitutionality of the law in the wake of efforts to strip the grand duke of his ability to enact or veto legislation in that country. read more...

ADF: Ariz. shouldn't block disabled students from using vouchers - 12.9.2008

The Arizona Supreme Court should reject the demands of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit seeking to prevent special needs children from using vouchers at private religious schools, say attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the case, which the court heard Tuesday. ADF attorneys joined attorneys from the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in submitting the brief on behalf of a Christian school. read more...

ADF: U.S. Supreme Court should hear NJ coach's prayer case - 11.20.2008

The Alliance Defense Fund has joined other pro-liberty organizations in filing a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a New Jersey football coach. The East Brunswick School District prohibited the coach from silently bowing his head or kneeling while his team prayed. read more...

Indiana's 'In God We Trust' plate in, Indiana woman's 'GOD' plate out - 11.18.2008

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit Monday challenging an Indiana statute that does not allow references to religion or a deity on personalized license plates even though the state itself issues "In God We Trust" specialty plates. ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit against the commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles on behalf of a woman whose application to renew her nine-year-old personalized plate was denied because of its reference to God. read more...

Pro-life organizations file brief to defend Ireland abortion ban - 11.17.2008

Three pro-life organizations filed a brief Friday with the European Court of Human Rights in defense of Ireland's ban on abortion. In September, the court granted the Family Research Council, represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys, the opportunity to defend the ban jointly with two other pro-life organizations. read more...

Police in NY shrug off court order, deny religious free speech - 11.13.2008

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Ithaca on behalf of a Christian man denied his free speech rights even after he showed police officers a court order prohibiting them from enforcing an unconstitutional "noise" ordinance. ADF attorneys also filed a motion asking the court to suspend the ordinance while the case moves forward. read more...

ACLU threatens La. town over festival with Christian participants - 11.7.2008

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have sent a letter of support to the city of Thibodaux after it was threatened by the American Civil Liberties Union over an annual fall festival held in the city that includes Christian artists and performers. read more...

ADF prepared to fight looming leftist agenda - 11.7.2008

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund say they will be monitoring actions by the new administration and new Congress to see if they make good on promises to pursue damaging policy changes that will harm Americans. read more...

Pretense of tolerance is over: Proposition 8 opponents attempt to defy voters - 11.5.2008

A new court petition filed by groups dissatisfied with the decision of California voters to protect marriage demonstrates the contempt such groups have for the will of the people, according to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund. The petition, filed with the California Supreme Court Wednesday, asks for an immediate stay of Proposition 8, which voters approved Tuesday. read more...

Southeastern Louisiana University: Christian speaker needs permit to share faith - 11.5.2008

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit against Southeastern Louisiana University officials Tuesday after they denied a Christian speaker the right to hand out tracts, display banners, and share the Gospel in an area of the campus reserved for outside speakers. Campus police told the man that he needed to apply for a permit, even though other speakers have been allowed in the past to distribute literature and speak on their beliefs without one. read more...

ADF strongly condemns religious bigotry of anti-Proposition 8 ad - 11.4.2008

A new television ad sponsored by opponents of California's Proposition 8 undeniably crosses the line of decency in its portrayal of religious supporters of the state's marriage amendment, according to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund. The ad portrays two male LDS missionaries forcibly invading the home of two young women. read more...

Signs of the Times - 11.3.2008

Defending marriage in California these days takes a lot of spunk. Those supporting Proposition 8 – the measure on this week's ballot that called for a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman – have been facing everything from media blitzes to their opponents' almost insurmountable financial advantage. read more...

Lawsuit challenges $18 million in contracts awarded to Colo. abortionists - 10.29.2008

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys filed suit Wednesday, asking a Colorado court to cancel $18 million in illegal state contracts awarded over the last year to a Planned Parenthood affiliate and a Boulder abortion provider. read more...

ADF attorneys appeal ruling against halting flawed sign ordinance - 10.27.2008

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have appealed a federal judge's decision to allow enforcement of a problematic sign ordinance in the town of Gilbert while the lawsuit moves forward in court. After initially agreeing not to enforce the provisions of its code that discriminated against churches, the city amended its code in January in a way that did not fix any of the code's constitutional flaws. read more...

ADF brief defends 'period of silence' in Illinois schools - 10.27.2008

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief in federal court Thursday in defense of an Illinois law allowing a "period of silence" for students attending the state's public schools. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the atheist who filed the suit, which seeks to have the law declared unconstitutional. read more...

Police prevent more Md. pro-lifers from sharing message - 10.24.2008

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys filed a lawsuit Thursday against the city of Westminster on behalf of pro-life organization Defend Life. Police insisted that participants in Defend Life's "Face the Truth" 2008 tour needed permits to peacefully share their pro-life message along a public street. read more...

Proposition 8 opponents show true colors in Chino Hills - 10.22.2008

Supporters of Proposition 8 in Chino Hills have been facing antagonism from two sources: vandals and city hall. read more...

ADF attorneys file suit after Penn. school prohibits religious fliers - 10.22.2008

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday after school district officials in Haverford Township denied a local Christian ministry access to a flier distribution program that is open to other groups.read more...

ADF attorneys ready to defend students participating in pro-life event - 10.20.2008

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are ready to offer free legal help to students at schools across the nation who participate in the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity, should the students' First Amendment rights be violated. The Tuesday event offers pro-life students an opportunity to express their viewpoint on the subject of abortion.read more...

Connecticut Supreme Court strikes at marriage - 10.10.08

In a 4–3 decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court struck down the state’s marriage law, which defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman, saying it is unconstitutional. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys had filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the Family Research Council asking the court to affirm marriage. read more...

Speak Freely! (On Tuesdays or Thursdays) - 10.7.08

We can all picture it – common areas of colleges packed full of tables with different clubs, sororities, or fraternities recruiting members. The bulletin board in a cafeteria or coffee shop stapled full of fliers, classifieds, or announcements. All forms of free speech seen – or heard – around the clock, every day. On more than one campus, though, administrators are trying to limit even the most fundamental forms of free speech. read more...

Atlanta: Bars, restaurants welcome, but churches—look elsewhere - 10.6.08

Alliance Defense Fund allied attorneys filed suit Thursday against the city of Atlanta for refusing to permit a church to use its leased property for religious purposes. Because of the city's unlawful zoning restrictions, the church has undergone severe hardship and is on the verge of closing its doors. read more...

ADF: Montana judge's decision is path to destruction of parental rights - 10.3.08

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed an appeal Thursday of a Montana judge's decision to grant parental rights to a woman who is a legal stranger to the children involved. The judge ruled that the former same-sex partner of Dr. Barbara Maniaci is entitled to parental rights simply because the two women lived together for a period of time. read more...

Churches vs. Cities - 10.2.08

A church building's doors forced shut. Its members not allowed to meet in their own building. Sounds like something missionaries report from foreign countries unfriendly to Christians—like from behind the Iron Curtain. But not this time.
This time, once again, it's happening right here on our own turf. read more...

Fight to let Montgomery County citizens vote on 'gender identity' bill continues - 10.1.08

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys filed a lawsuit Monday on behalf of Montgomery County voters against the Montgomery County Board of Elections for unconstitutionally denying voters the right to be heard on a new law giving special legal protections based on "gender identity." read more...

Yuba College: 'Free speech' tolerated two hours per week - 9.30.08

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a lawsuit Monday against Yuba Community College District officials after they threatened a student with arrest and expulsion for sharing a Christian message along a Yuba College walkway. District policies limit student free speech activities to two hours per week and require students to obtain permission two weeks in advance. read more...

ADF prepared to defend churches against possible IRS free speech investigations - 9.29.08

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund say they are prepared to defend the First Amendment rights of pastors who engaged in free speech from the pulpit on Pulpit Freedom Sunday Sept. 28. read more...

Defending Life on the Emerald Isle - 9.26.08

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are being blessed with a unique opportunity to defend Ireland's law barring abortion. This situation gives us the ear of judges who will be deciding whether to lift the ban, which has undoubtedly saved countless Irish lives. This case may be across the pond, but could have widespread impact in Europe and America as U.S. courts continue to look at overseas decisions when deciding cases here at home. read more...

Pulpit Freedom Sunday - 9.25.08

Pastors participating in the Alliance Defense Fund's "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" will preach from their pulpits Sept. 28 about the moral qualifications of candidates seeking political office. The pastors will exercise their First Amendment right to preach on the subject, despite federal tax regulations that prohibit intervening or participating in a political campaign. read more...

ADF to defend Irish abortion ban - 9.22.08

The European Court of Human Rights has granted the Family Research Council, represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys, the opportunity to defend Ireland's ban on abortion. read more...

Marriage on Appeal - 9.19.08

The Alliance Defense Fund is leading the charge in this country, when it comes to upholding marriage as the union God intended – exclusively between one man and one woman. Voters in three states—Arizona, California, and Florida—will have the opportunity to vote on marriage amendments in November, and ADF and its allies have played an important legal role in ensuring that voters in those states have the opportunity to express their will on same-sex "marriage." New York, however, is proving to be just as active a battleground, even though the issue is not on the ballot there and its courts have continually rejected legal attempts to fabricate same-sex "marriage." read more...

Questionable Classifieds - 9.16.08

Local newspapers can be a great source of community information. Some residents in the Midwest, though, grew more and more appalled at what they kept seeing in the classified section of one of their local papers…sex for sale. What may be more shocking is what happened when they complained. read more...

Fla. Christian barred from sharing faith files suit - 9.15.08

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit Friday on behalf of a Christian threatened with arrest for expressing a religious message on a public sidewalk in Lake Worth. An officer told Martin Mikhail the Bible was a “work of fiction” and threatened him with arrest. He was also informed that he would need to obtain a permit before he could share his faith with passers-by. read more...

Wis. school district charges fees to Christian groups, not others - 9.11.08

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit against the Sun Prairie Area School District Wednesday on behalf of Open Door Church of Sun Prairie. The lawsuit challenges the district's policy that charges religious groups fees for using public school facilities while giving non-religious community groups a free ride. read more...

ADF: Opposing porn is free speech, not a conspiracy - 9.9.08

On behalf of 31 of Cincinnati's most prominent pastors and pro-family leaders, Alliance Defense Fund attorneys Monday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the publisher of City Beat newspaper. Lightborne Publishing alleges that the pro-family leaders and others conspired to violate the publisher's free speech rights and diminish its profits by voicing concerns about thinly-veiled ads for prostitution and other sex services. read more...

ADF appeals decision to uphold NY governor's same-sex 'marriage' directive - 9.9.08

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund submitted their notice of appeal Monday contesting a New York judge's decision to uphold an illegal directive from Gov. David Paterson. The directive orders state agencies to recognize same-sex “marriages” from outside jurisdictions even though same-sex "marriage" is not legal under New York law. read more...

Pulpit Freedom- 9.8.08

You may be aware of a special project we're undertaking here at the Alliance Defense Fund, culminating in an event on Sunday, September 28 called Pulpit Freedom Sunday. We are excited about this opportunity that will, God-willing, give us the opportunity to restore now missing aspects of the First Amendment to our nation's spiritual leaders. It's no surprise that not everyone agrees and we have recently come under attack. read more...

Young pro-lifers jailed, shackled, strip searched for peacefully sharing message - 9.3.08

Alliance Defense Fund and allied attorneys filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Harford County, the town of Bel Air, and seven police officials on behalf of three young, pro-life women. At least a dozen police officers arrived in more than seven marked vehicles and then arrested, jailed, shackled, and/or strip searched 18 pro-life advocates, including the three women, after they held signs and shared their message along a public street. read more...

ADF attorneys advise Mesa County officials regarding constitutionality of invocations - 8.22.08

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys sent a letter to Mesa County commissioners in Colorado Friday, providing legal counsel on the constitutionality of opening public meetings with an invocation and offering to defend the county pro bono if it adopts a model prayer policy that subsequently gets attacked in court. read more...

ADF: Pro-abortion activists wrong on federal rights of conscience rule - 8.22.08

The Alliance Defense Fund submitted a letter Friday to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt disputing the claims of pro-abortion groups critical of a proposed rights of conscience rule. The rule would provide protections for health care workers who have a moral objection to prescribing abortion-inducing drugs. read more...

Christians threatened with arrest at N.Y. "gay pride" event file suit- 8.20.08

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city of Elmira after police prohibited a group of Christians from expressing their beliefs at a recent event celebrating homosexual behavior.read more...

Democracy denied: Court disenfranchises Oregon voters- 8.14.08

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit Thursday upheld a district court decision denying Oregon citizens the right to vote on a referendum that concerns a new state law which many believe violates the state's marriage amendment. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a lawsuit on Dec. 3 on behalf of several disenfranchised Oregon voters after the secretary of state and several different county clerks invalidated their authentic petition signatures to place the referendum on the November ballot.read more...

ADF asks Supreme Court to hear Mich. student religious speech case- 8.11.08

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday, asking the court to consider whether a fifth-grade student's religious expression on a classroom project may be categorically identified as "offensive" and therefore legitimately censored by Michigan school officials.read more...

ADF attorneys file brief supporting 'moment of silence' in Texas- 8.11.08

Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit Monday in defense of a Texas law requiring students to observe one minute of silence following the Pledge of Allegiance.read more...

Prop. 8 proponents will appeal decision upholding flawed ballot title- 8.8.08

Alliance Defense Fund and ProtectMarriage attorneys will immediately appeal Friday's decision by a California judge that upheld wording changes made to the Proposition 8 ballot title by the state attorney general. The appeal will ask the California Court of Appeal to order the attorney general to comply with state election law that requires that the ballot title be fair and unbiased.read more...

Fla. court: Voters should get say on ending discrimination against faith-based charities- 8.4.08

A Florida court ruled Monday that voters have a right to decide whether to end public funding discrimination against religious individuals and groups for non-religious social services and programs. Alliance Defense Fund allied attorneys represent five religious charities in the Sunshine State.read more...