The good news is that this he didn’t put up a Farrah Fawcett cheesecake poster in his courtroom. The bad news is that he might have been smarter if he had.
According to this AP report via New York Lawyer,
MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) – The American Civil Liberties Union says an Ohio judge has again posted the Ten Commandments in his courtroom, defying rulings that he not display them.What is it with this guy? Is it not sufficient that he’s a judge, wears a robe, gets to pass judgment on other people?
The group on Thursday asked a federal court to hold Richland County Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese in contempt.
In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court’s decision that a framed poster of the commandments in DeWeese’s court violated the Constitution.
DeWeese denies he’s displaying the Ten Commandments now and accuses the ACLU of attempting to silence speech.
While there is currently a poster in his courtroom that includes the commandments, DeWeese says it illustrates a debate about philosophies that affect the handling of criminal cases.
Before any fanatics decide this is a perfect opportunity to explain how the United States is a Christian country, or how the 10 Commandments form the foundation of all laws, or how we would all be better off if we were to honor God’s laws, there is one point to make. This fellow is a judge, and his day job is to apply and interpret the laws of the State of Ohio. He can believe as deeply in his religion as he wants, and it’s up to the good residents of Richmond County to decide whether they trust him to serve.
If he wants to drive him in a car with the 10 Commandments emblazoned across his hood, that’s his business. If he wants to paint them across the front of his house, whatever. But he can’t post them in the courtroom. It’s not his choice, and this attempt to circumvent the law is just plain crazy.
Keeping religion out of government, and particularly out of the courtroom, should never be this difficult.
As I’m occasionally told that I tend to be critical without offering any constructive alternative, I submit this as a better choice for Judge DeWeese as proof of God’s existence.
Talk about showing my age.
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Isn’t there a brunette that you hold the torch for as proof of God’s existence? From your [evidently vast] catalogue of memories there must be one or more you can offer. Judge DeWeese may prefer options!
Truth be told, Farrah was never my thing. I was more the Marcia Brady type. But that sounds so embarrassing now, so don’t tell anyone.
Not to rub it in, but who is Marcia Brady? I’m gonna have to Google her I guess.
Could you possibly make me feel worse?
You’re too much. The judge may not go for her, either. So many brunettes in the world!