Court ruling means Modesto man free to speak - 11.20.2008
A federal court granted a motion Wednesday that allows a Christian man to freely share his faith in a Modesto public plaza while his lawsuit against the city moves forward in court. ADF attorneys filed suit on behalf of Kevin Borden in July after the city of Modesto restricted him and his friends from peacefully sharing their faith in a public plaza on Saturday evenings.
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Court orders approval of Ariz. 'Choose Life' license plates - 11.19.2008
A federal court Wednesday ordered the Arizona License Plate Commission to approve a specialty license plate featuring the words "Choose Life." Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and the Center for Arizona Policy represent the applicants for the plates, the Arizona Life Coalition.
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Calif. court: Christian student free to speak as case proceeds - 11.13.2008
A federal judge ordered Yuba Community College District officials Monday to temporarily suspend enforcement of policies against a student represented by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys. Yuba College officials threatened the student, Ryan Dozier, with arrest or expulsion for sharing his faith on campus in violation of college policies that dramatically restricted free speech. For example, the college prohibits student speech without a permit outside of the school's "free speech" limits of one hour per day two days per week.
read more... Settlement reached: Wis. school district no longer charging Christian club - 10.30.2008
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund have reached a settlement with the Sun Prairie Area School District, ensuring Open Door Church of Sun Prairie that its Awana Club will no longer be required to pay discriminatory fees to meet on school property.
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Massive support for roadside crosses dedicated to fallen Utah troopers - 10.28.2008
Numerous organizations and public officials filed friend-of-the-court briefs Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit to defend the constitutionality of roadside memorials for fallen Utah troopers. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys, who filed their opening appellate brief Oct. 15, represent the Utah Highway Patrol Association against American Atheists, which sued the state to remove the roadside crosses that commemorate the officers.
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Atlanta finally allows church to occupy its privately rented building - 10.24.2008
The city of Atlanta reversed course Thursday, agreeing to a consent order from a federal judge that will allow Kingdom First Ministries to begin meeting in its rented building immediately. The city made its decision after Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys filed suit against the city for illegitimately denying the church use of the building.
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ADF attorneys secure settlement with Shippensburg University - 10.23.2008
Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have settled a lawsuit with officials at Shippensburg University, bringing an end to the school's unconstitutional "speech codes." On behalf of a Christian student organization, the ADF Center for Academic Freedom had challenged the codes, which severely restricted students' First Amendment rights.
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A Victory for "Vanity" - 10.20.2008
As you drive around your home city, you see license plates. In recent years, more and more "personalized" vanity plates have become the focus of driver creativity and civic promotion. Most of you have options when it comes to choosing one. There are plates for unions, wildlife advocacy, university alumni, and even hospice care advocates. The state allows a portion of the proceeds from the sales of those plates go to the sponsoring organization. Arizona also offers many of these plates as options for groups, but until a recent court ruling, pro-life groups were left out.
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Court order re-opens doors for First Amendment in Wis. town - 10.14.08
A federal judge signed a court judgment against the village of Kewaskum, which had threatened a man with arrest for distributing Christian literature. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit in federal court in February to challenge a village ordinance that severely restricted the man’s constitutional right to free speech and religious freedom.
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Permit requirement for pro-life signs suspended in Harford County, Md. - 10.14.08
A federal judge approved an agreement that prohibits Harford County from enforcing a permit requirement for hand-held signs which Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and allied attorneys are challenging in court. ADF attorneys contend the permit requirement, used against a group of pro-life advocates arrested, jailed, shackled, and/or strip searched after they held signs and shared their message along a public street in August, is unconstitutional.
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La. AG stops voter disenfranchisement in three parishes - 10.14.08
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund are commending the Louisiana Attorney General’s office for stepping in to resolve the possible illegal disenfranchisement of voters in at least three of the state’s parishes.
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U.S. Supreme Court clears way for specialty plates featuring 'Choose Life' message - 10.7.08
The U.S. Supreme Court denied review Monday of a challenge to an Arizona specialty license plate featuring the words "Choose Life." The decision clears the way for the license plates to be offered to the public. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and the Center for Arizona Policy represent the plates' proponents, the Arizona Life Coalition.
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Hickory, NC officials agree to respect constitutional right to share faith - 9.30.08
Two Christians arrested for expressing their faith in public have been assured by town officials that their constitutional right to religious free speech will be respected in the future. After criminal trespassing charges against Matthew and Jesse Boyd were dropped, they asked Alliance Defense Fund attorneys to represent them with the hope that their rights and those of other Christians will be respected in the future.
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Settlement: Illinois church finally able to worship on own property - 9.24.08
The city of Carlinville has agreed to a settlement proposed by an Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney on behalf of the Carlinville Southern Baptist Church. The settlement means that the church can now use a former Wal-Mart building it purchased and renovated after the city and its mayor approved the church's use of the building and then backed out of the agreement.
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ADF-allied attorneys secure victory for religious speech at NY college - 9.11.08
A federal court ruled Tuesday that a Christian man arrested and charged with trespassing for expressing his faith on a public college campus had a constitutional right to his religious speech. Last year, a New York court acquitted Greg Davis, represented by Alliance Defense Fund allied attorneys, of criminal charges. ADF provided funding for the criminal case and the subsequent civil lawsuit.
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The Right Call - 9.2.08
Larry and Katrina, a Christian couple married nearly six years, are the proud parents of two beautiful little girls, one of whom just joined the family last month. When their daughters are old enough, they will be home-schooled. "We just want to spend as much time as possible with our children," Larry said. "We want to be the primary influence on their lives." Of course, they will have that opportunity. It seems ridiculous to think that their choice to school their children in their home was ever at risk – but it was.
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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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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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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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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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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, 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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ACLU fails to silence religious expression in Wilson County schools - 5.30.08
A court order issued Thursday fell short of granting the American Civil Liberties Union what it was seeking in its lawsuit against the Wilson County School System, according to attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund.
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Wash. school district agrees to respect student prayer meetings - 5.29.08
Alliance Defense Fund attorneys have obtained a favorable settlement for a Christian student who filed suit against the East Valley School District. The settlement acknowledges the student’s constitutional right to meet on campus for religious purposes during non-instructional time. School officials initially prohibited her from meeting with other schoolmates for prayer, discussion, and fasting in a room regularly open for other student-organized gatherings.
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Pa. court reverses decision against midwife for helping Amish woman - 5.28.08
A Pennsylvania appeals court has reversed a State Board of Medicine ruling against a midwife who had been fined and ordered to cease practicing after she assisted an Amish woman during childbirth. ADF attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief in favor of the woman last year, arguing that a state board wrongly interpreted statutes so as to outlaw the practice of lay midwifery, a practice relied upon by many religious communities in the commonwealth, including the Amish.
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ADF: Sharing religious views on public sidewalk is not a crime - 5.23.08
An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney has secured a settlement with city of Beaumont officials that will result in changes to an ordinance that violates the First Amendment rights of citizens wishing to publicly express their views. Under the old ordinance, two men were arrested and charged for sharing their religious views on a public sidewalk.
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Wisconsin student wins settlement in “JOHN 3:16” drawing case - 5.20.08
A settlement reached between Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and the Tomah Area School District means the district will respect students’ constitutional right to religious expression in their artwork.
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IRS rejects AU complaint, finds Calif. church didn’t violate tax code - 5.19.08
Following an Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney’s response to an investigation of First Baptist Church of Buena Park, the Internal Revenue Service has concluded that political endorsements by Pastor Wiley Drake in e-mails and on his radio show were made without any connection to the church. As a result, the IRS is no longer considering revocation of the church’s tax-exempt status.
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Federal court: San Diego treated church with “outright hostility” - 5.15.08
A federal court handed victory to a Rancho Bernardo church Friday in its land use battle with San Diego officials and two planning boards, noting that officials demonstrated “outright hostility” toward the church and failed to consider relevant federal law. The Alliance Defense Fund provided funding in the case.
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Settlement allows Christians in Miss. town to exercise free speech- 5.12.08
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund reached a favorable settlement agreement with the City of Wiggins Monday in the case Wallace v. City of Wiggins. The agreement allows the plaintiffs, Shannon Wallace and Wesley Sewell, to preach along public ways in Wiggins as long as no ordinances or laws are violated.
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Court: Georgia Tech “Safe Space” program not safe from Constitution - 5.1.08
A federal judge has ruled another policy unconstitutional at Georgia Institute of Technology in a lawsuit Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed on behalf of two students. The court already struck down a “speech code” policy at the university, but additionally ruled Wednesday that provisions of the school’s “Safe Space” program discriminate against religion and are therefore unconstitutional.
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Vt. school recognizes Bible club after ADF attorneys file suit - 4.29.08
As a result of a settlement reached Tuesday between Alliance Defense Fund attorneys and the Middlebury Union High School District, school officials will grant a student-run Bible club formal recognition. The change will allow members to gain access to the same benefits afforded to other campus clubs.
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ADF attorneys protect Alabama student’s right to perform religious song - 4.14.08
A Christian student told he could not perform a religious song at a high school talent show was permitted to perform it with another student Friday, after ADF attorneys representing the student sent a letter to Baldwin County Public Schools officials on his behalf. The student’s song won the talent show.
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ACLU fails in lengthy attack on Baptist children’s home - 4.2.08
After a 10-year legal battle, a federal judge has dismissed an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against a home providing social services for at-risk children. The lawsuit claimed the home, Sunrise Children’s Services, should not receive partial expense reimbursements from the government for its needy youth programs because of the home’s religious affiliation. The Alliance Defense Fund provided funding for attorneys with the Christian Legal Society and Thomas More Law Center to defend the home in the suit.
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9th Circuit upholds constitutionality of Wash. Ten Commandments display - 3.26.08
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled Wednesday that a six-foot granite monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments in the city of Everett does not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Alliance Defense Fund funded a friend-of-the-court brief filed by Steve Fitschen of the National Legal Foundation.
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Charges dismissed against Christians who shared faith on N.J. boardwalk- 3.7.08
A New Jersey judge dismissed criminal charges Wednesday against four Christians who chose to share their faith on the Atlantic City boardwalk. An Alliance Defense Fund-allied attorney representing the group argued that their constitutional rights were violated by the actions of local police.
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