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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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