"In God We Trust" ruling [4th Circuit] News
"In God We Trust" ruling [4th Circuit]

Lambeth, et al. v. The Board of Commissioners of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Circuit Judge King, May 13, 2005 [ruling that the inscription "In God We Trust" above the doorway of a county government building in North Carolina is not an unconstitutional infringement of the separation of church and state. Excerpt:

In sum, even accepting the allegations of the Complaint as true, the display does not contravene any of the three prongs of the Lemon test. The Complaint fails to sufficiently allege that the display had no legitimate secular purpose; that it has the effect of advancing or endorsing religion; or that it results in an excessive entanglement of government and religion. As a result, we agree with the comprehensive analysis made by the district court with regard to this dispute, see Memorandum Opinion at 18-44, and conclude that the Complaint fails to state a claim for relief under the Establishment Clause upon which relief can be granted.

Read the full text of the opinion here [PDF]. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

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