County commissioners in a Texas jurisdiction now have the full blessing of a federal judge to pray.
Wood County resident Charles Scott filed the lawsuit, claiming that displaying the national motto, "In God We Trust," and offering an invocation before meetings violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But Jeff Mateer of Liberty Institute, who represented Wood County in federal court, asserts that Scott's argument was flawed.
"The motivation behind this lawsuit was questionable at best," he comments. "The Supreme Court has made clear on more than one occasion that legislatures, counties, cities, municipalities can open their meetings in prayer.
"Likewise, the Supreme Court has made clear, and other courts have made clear, that there is nothing wrong with our national motto, 'In God We Trust.'"
The plaintiff submitted extensive documentation, trying to persuade the court that his constitutional rights had been violated by the commissioner's alleged endorsement of religion.
"Fortunately the judge was not persuaded at all by his arguments and position, and he was more persuaded, I think, by the Supreme Court and the actual language of the First Amendment," Mateer reports.
The judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling in favor of the county.