Court Considers Ten Commandments Appeals Story aired: Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Protestors are outside the U.S. Supreme Court building today as the high court takes up two cases to decide whether displays of the Ten Commandments on government property are religious or historical.
Lower courts have disagreed on the subject. An appeals court has ruled that a six-foot granite monument of the Ten Commandments can stay on the grounds of the Texas state capitol. But a federal court in Kentucky has ordered displays of great American law documents in two Kentucky courthouses removed because the displays include the Ten Commandments. Attorney Mat Staver will argue today that the Kentucky display should stay.
As the Supreme Court considers these cases today, no less than Moses himself will be peering down at the justices. The sculpted marble friezes on the upper walls of the chamber include Moses with five of the Ten Commandments, one of a series of great historical lawgivers displayed in the court.
Guests:
Tony Mauro covers the Supreme Court for the Legal Time.
Jonathan Turley is a professor of law at George Washington University Law School.
