Richard S. Rothschild, Vice President Robin Bartlett Frazier, Secretary Doug Howard Haven N. Shoemaker, Jr.
Carroll County Government
225 North Center Street Westminster, Maryland 21157 410-386-2043; 1-888-302-8978 fax 410-386-2485 MD Relay 711/800-735-2258
CARROLL COUNTY ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the Carroll County Government and its programs, services, activities, and facilities. Anyone requiring an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or who has a complaint should contact Madeline M. Morey, The Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, 410.386.3800, 1.888.302.8978, MD Relay 7-1-1/1.800.735.2258 or email mmorey@ccg.carr.org as soon as possible but no later than 72 hours before the scheduled event.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Roberta Windham 410-386-2043
Supreme Court Decides New York Prayer Case and Federal District Court Judge Lifts Injunction
Westminster, Monday, May 05, 2014 Today the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in the legislative prayer case Town of Greece V. Galloway. In a 5 to 4 decision the justices agreed with the town of Greece that their practice of legislative prayer before their monthly meetings did not violate the First Amendment of the Constitution. The Court held that the Constitution does not require the content of legislative prayers to be nonsectarian.
The First Amendment is not a majority rule, and government may not seek to define permissible categories of religious speech. Once it invites prayer into the public sphere, government must permit a prayer giver to address his or her own God or gods as conscience dictates, unfettered by what an administrator or judge considers to be nonsectarian, said Justice Anthony Kennedy in the Courts majority opinion.
The Galloway decision is of particular interest to Carroll County since several citizens filed suit last year in Federal District Court alleging the Commissioners practice of opening their meetings with a legislative prayer violated the First Amendment. Recently, United States District Judge William D. Quarles enjoined the county from using sectarian language while praying, bound by what was at the time controlling precedent by a federal Appeals court. The Commissioners are deeply gratified that Judge Quarles lifted the injunction prohibiting sectarian prayers shortly after todays Supreme Court decision, recognizing that the Justices have jettisoned the appellate precedent that previously weighed in the Plaintiffs favor. There are remaining issues in the case against Carroll County, including a potential contempt finding, which are still before the court and cannot be commented on further.
The Board is very pleased with the Galloway decision and expects to obtain a similar judgment before the Federal District Court.