Supreme Court Rules Cross Display No Constitutional Crisis-- WWI Memorial to Remain Intact

“This is a victory against anti-religious hysteria.” - Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2010—Today, after a long-fought battle, the Supreme Court handed down a victory for common sense.

In the case of Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, et al., v. Buono (08-472), the Supreme Court ruled that a World War I memorial in California's Mojave Desert that features a memorial cross can remain in place.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the nation's top conservative public interest law firm, represented itself and 15 members of Congress in its amicus brief in the case.

"We're pleased that the court has reversed the 9^th Circuit and allowed the cross to remain in place," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ.  "The court has sent a message that the mere existence of a religious symbol in a public place does not create a constitutional crisis."

Those represented by the ACLJ in its amicus brief were House Minority Leader John Boehner as well as U.S. Representatives Todd Akin, Michele Bachmann, Roy Blunt, Eric Cantor, Randy Forbes, Scott Garrett, Walter Jones, Jim Jordan, Doug Lamborn, Thaddeus McCotter, Jeff Miller, Mike Pence, Joseph Pitts and Joe Wilson. 

The ACLJ amicus brief can be viewed at http://www.aclj.org/media/pdf/SalazarBrief_June.pdf.

The war memorial in question was erected more than 70 years ago by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to honor fallen service members in a remote area that is now part of a federal preserve. After the National Park Service denied a request to build a Buddhist shrine near the cross in 1999 and declared its intent to remove the cross, Congress designated the cross and an area of adjoining property as a national World War I memorial.  The Supreme Court's ruling now insures that the cross will remain a part of the memorial.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.  The ACLJ is online at www.aclj.org. 

-30-