Protecting Battesimo - 8.25.08
"Battesimo" is Italian for baptism, and if one Italian atheist had his way, the word – and its religious significance – would be banished. But that won't happen now, and a potentially very bad precedent of international law has been averted, thanks to an Italian Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney.
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Settlement: Christian clubs can have announcements in Deer Valley schools- 8.15.08
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have obtained a settlement from Deer Valley Unified School District officials that will end the district’s prohibition on a Christian student club’s fliers and PA announcements. The district has agreed to change policies that prohibited the meeting announcements and fliers but allowed them for other student clubs.
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Court: Ohio library can’t prohibit meeting because of religious elements- 8.14.08
A federal court ruled Thursday that an Ohio library violated the Constitution when it denied Citizens for Community Values access to its meeting room on the grounds that the proposed event contained “inherent elements of a religious service.” Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed suit on behalf of CCV against the Upper Arlington Public Library Board of Trustees on March 7.
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Anti-Christian group drops bid to end baptisms in Italy- 8.13.08
A group promoting anti-religious causes has dropped a legal bid to end baptisms in Italy after an Alliance Defense Fund-allied attorney became involved on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church and a bishop.
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Maricopa School District reverses course, will allow religious flier distribution- 8.13.08
Maricopa Unified School District officials have reversed course and will allow the distribution of fliers by a local church on campus. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit July 24 after a church and its pastor were told that they would not be permitted to distribute their fliers to students. District policy allows nonprofit organizations to distribute literature, but only if the fliers do not contain religious material.
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7th Circuit: Right to distribute religious literature affirmed- 8.13.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled Thursday that an ordinance restricting the distribution of religious literature in Granite City is unconstitutional, upholding a previous district court ruling. The Alliance Defense Fund has provided funding for the case, being litigated by an ADF-allied attorney, for more than four years.
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Univ. of Md. to change speech code, speech zone policies- 8.11.08
University of Maryland-Baltimore County officials agreed Friday to modify their unconstitutional "speech code" and "speech zone" policies that restricted a pro-life student group from sharing its message on campus. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom filed a lawsuit April 2 on behalf of Rock for Life students against the university after it forced the group to move its pro-life display to less visible locations.
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Calif. Court of Appeal says homeschooling OK under state law- 8.8.08
The California Court of Appeal Friday found that the California Education Code allows parents to homeschool their children, reversing its own previous decision on the matter. The decision means that parents do not have to obtain state credentials in order to educate their own children at home.
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3rd Circuit upholds ruling against Temple University "speech code"- 8.4.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit Monday upheld a federal judge's ruling against Temple University’s former "speech code," which prevented a graduate student from expressing his beliefs and opinions in class discussions and campus conversations, violating his First Amendment right to free speech. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom represent the student, Christian DeJohn.
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11th Circuit orders Univ. of Fla.to recognize Christian fraternity- 7.30.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ordered University of Florida officials Wednesday to stop discriminating against a Christian fraternity, Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX), while a lawsuit filed by Christian Legal Society and Alliance Defense Fund attorneys against school officials is on appeal.
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Court rules to preserve life of Calif. woman deprived of food, water- 7.24.08
A California woman deprived of life-sustaining care, including food and water, for nearly two weeks now has a chance to live. On Tuesday, the Fresno County Superior Court ordered that Janet Rivera’s feeding tube and water be reinstated until a July 29 trial. The court will decide whether the responsibility for managing Janet’s medical care should be transferred from the Fresno County Public Guardian to Janet’s cousin, Suzanne Emrich, who is represented by Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney Brian Chavez-Ochoa.
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Judge’s ruling upholds Md. voters’ right to oppose "gender identity" bill- 7.24.08
Alliance Defense Fund attorneys representing the citizen voter coalition Maryland Citizens for Responsible Government helped secure a favorable ruling from a Maryland court Thursday, giving 900,000 Montgomery County voters their right to be heard on their petition against a “gender identity” bill. Groups not wanting the will of the people to be heard on the bill attempted to disenfranchise and silence hundreds of thousands of county voters.
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CLS, ADF attorneys secure victory in Colo. student funding case- 7.23.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit held Wednesday that Colorado officials violated the U.S. Constitution by excluding Colorado Christian University and its students from state tuition assistance programs on the ground that the school is “pervasively sectarian.” Attorneys with the Christian Legal Society and the Alliance Defense Fund are on the legal team representing CCU.
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Court refuses to reconsider ruling against Georgia Tech- 7.23.08
A federal judge Wednesday denied a request by the Georgia Institute of Technology to reconsider his previous ruling which struck down provisions of the institute’s “Safe Space” training program as unconstitutional because it favored one religious denomination over another. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom represent two students, Orit Sklar and Ruth Malhotra, who were subjected to religious discrimination at the school.
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ADF achieving results internationally- 7.22.08
The Alliance Defense Fund has been actively involved in several recent international legal situations to protect families worldwide and protect America from the effects of poor international legal decisions.
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Court: Atheist organization can’t sue over treatment center for troubled children- 7.18.08
Alliance Defense Fund attorneys say a federal court made the right call Thursday in rejecting a lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation over state referrals to a non-profit, church-affiliated treatment center for troubled children.
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Calif. Supreme Court rejects lawsuit against Calif. marriage amendment- 7.16.08
Alliance Defense Fund and ProtectMarriage attorneys are calling the California Supreme Court’s rejection of a lawsuit against the state’s proposed marriage amendment an appropriate decision on a frivolous lawsuit. The attorneys say they will vigorously defend against any additional legal attacks filed to deny the right of Californians to vote on marriage.
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Alaska court: Tax exemption for religious school constitutional- 7.10.08
An Alaska court has ruled that a property tax exemption for religious schools does not violate either the state or federal constitution. ADF-allied attorney Kevin Clarkson represented two churches in the case.
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Settlement ensures rights of Michigan church will be respected- 7.9.08
A Michigan church has reached a favorable settlement in a lawsuit filed by an Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney against the city of Muskegon. The city planning commission had unlawfully prohibited the church from using a vacant car dealership as a house of worship but has now agreed to allow the congregation to use the building.
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Settlement secured for group barred from expressing faith in N.Y. park - 7.3.08
An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney has secured a settlement on behalf of members of a Christian group barred from expressing their faith in a public park. The free speech rights of Jews for Jesus members were violated when Oyster Bay officials placed numerous restrictions on their activities, including a threat to remove them from the area if any patrons were “offended” by their message.
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Oklahoma Supreme Court: Judge okay to vacate same-sex couple’s “divorce” - 7.2.08
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a state judge acted within his authority when he vacated a divorce unknowingly granted to two women. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case in October 2007 on behalf of then-Oklahoma Speaker of the House Lance Cargill, arguing that the state cannot grant a divorce to two people when the state does not even recognize them as married.
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Free Speech and Pagan Pride - 7.1.08
The first American settlers were Christians who came here to escape religious persecution. And in doing so, they also provided a haven for others who were not free to worship God in the manner they chose. But today, without legal support, too many Christians are not free to preach God’s Word on American soil. A situation that arose recently in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shows that the very freedoms the pilgrims risked their lives to obtain are not always guaranteed.
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ADF secures settlement for Christian fired for requesting Sundays off - 6.30.08
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund finalized a settlement agreement Friday on behalf of a Christian fired from his job simply because he requested not to work on Sundays.
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8th Circuit: S.D. can enforce women’s “right to know” abortion law - 6.27.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled 7–4 Friday to lift an injunction against a South Dakota informed consent abortion law. The law requires abortionists to inform women about the nature of abortion and the risks involved before they elect to terminate their pre-born child’s life. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys authored and filed a friend-of-the-court brief defending the law on behalf of the Family Research Council.
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Order stops enforcement of unconstitutional St. Louis literature distribution policy - 6.26.08
A federal judge issued an order Tuesday that will permit a Christian ministry to hand out literature and speak about their religious viewpoint at an annual “PrideFest” event celebrating homosexual behavior. The court order, requested by an Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney, restrains city officials from enforcing an unconstitutional policy they used two years earlier at a city park to ban the same group from distributing literature and expressing their views.
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ADF commends signing of “Jesse’s Law” - 6.25.08
The Alliance Defense Fund is applauding Arizona’s enactment Tuesday of a bill known as “Jesse’s Law.” The new law, inspired by the amazing ordeal of Jesse Ramirez, closed a loophole in the decision-making process for patients who are physically unable to communicate their wishes regarding medical care.
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ADF, CLS suit prompts Univ. of S.C. to correct funding inequities - 6.23.08
The University of South Carolina has changed its policy of excluding religious student organizations from student activities fee allocations available to other recognized student organizations. The change came about as the result of a federal lawsuit filed in February by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund Center for Academic Freedom and Christian Legal Society Center for Law & Religious Freedom.
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6th Circuit reverses dismissal of lawsuit against Ohio's Miami University - 6.20.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled in favor of Alliance Defense Fund attorneys in a free speech case Thursday, reversing a lower court’s ruling which resulted in the dismissal of the case. The lower court ruling upheld a Miami University policy under which a Christian man was barred from exercising his First Amendment rights on campus.
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Court order stops Grand Rapids ordinance from prohibiting spontaneous Christian speech - 6.20.08
After a negotiated settlement, Alliance Defense Fund allied attorneys secured a court order Thursday barring the city of Grand Rapids from using a local ordinance to prevent a group of Christians from publicly expressing a religious message at a city park.
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Court tosses Fla. statute banning Bible distribution on public sidewalk - 6.19.08
A federal court Wednesday ruled in favor of attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and permanently struck down sections of a state statute used to bar a member of Gideons International from distributing Bibles on a public sidewalk. The court determined that the statute under which Thomas Gray was threatened with arrest was “constitutionally vague” in violation of the 14th Amendment.
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1st Circuit: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is constitutional - 6.9.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit ruled Monday that the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on homosexual behavior does not violate the U.S. Constitution. As argued in a friend-of-the-court brief funded by the Alliance Defense Fund and filed by the National Legal Foundation, the court determined that the policy is constitutional because it is based upon important considerations of military life, not irrational fears or prejudices.
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Alaska Supreme Court issues order to keep patient alive - 6.3.08
The Alaska Supreme Court granted an Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney’s motion for stay and signed an order Friday that will keep Providence Hospital from removing a woman’s life-support tubes. Ending her life support could result in her death within minutes or days.
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Florida man fails to have wife’s feeding tube removed - 6.2.08
A state judge has signed an order, requested by an Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney, to appoint a committee that will make recommendations on the health of Karen Weber. Weber is a stroke victim whose husband wants to have her feeding tube removed even though his wife made clear that she doesn’t desire to go to hospice and has communicated with family and friends.
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