February 11 , 2004
Habersham drops appeal of Ten Commandments ruling
The Associated Press - CLARKESVILLE, Ga.
Habersham County has dropped its appeal of a federal judges order to remove its public Ten Commandments displays because it would cost taxpayers too much money, officials said Wednesday.
Two Habersham residents, the Rev. Charles Bo Turner of Tallulah Falls Baptist Church, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, and Gregg Holder, filed suit against the displays in March 2002. While hes a preacher, Turner said he believes that the Ten Commandments placement in government buildings violates an important separation between church and state.
In November, U.S. District Judge William OKelley ruled that the county must take down the displays at the county courthouse in Clarkesville and a public swimming pool complex because they were an unconstitutional promotion of religion by the government. (snip)
The Ten Commandments had been posted alongside historical legal documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Mayflower Compact, the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution and the Magna Carta.
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http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=31203