$53,230

Written by Don Byrd
That’s the legal bill the Pittsylvania County, Virginia Board of Supervisors will likely owe the state’s ACLU for the cost of bringing the Board to court for opening meetings with sectarian prayer. A magistrate judge made the recommendation for attorney’s fees earlier this week. As the editorial board of the Lynchburg News and Advance notes today, the costly effort of the County’s Board was unnecessary.

Advocates Send Legislative Prayer Arguments to Supreme Court

Written by Don Byrd
Ahead of the arguments, advocates have begun filing friend-of-the-court briefs, including a few high profile groups arguing there’s nothing unconstitutional about local governments opening meetings with sectarian prayer. If you are interested in reading that point of view, here are some links.

6th Circuit: Hamilton Co. (TN) Prayer Policy OK, but its Application Can be Challenged

Written by Don Byrd
Because the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear a case in the next term about government meetings that open with prayer, courts across the country may have helpful guidance in how to approach theses cases. In the meantime, they still adjudicate these difficult cases. On Friday, the 6th Circuit ruled constitutional (PDF) the prayer policy for Tennessee’s Hamilton County meetings, but allowed a lawsuit to continue that challenges the way in which that policy has been applied during the past year.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear legislative prayer case

From BJC staff reports
The practice of opening government meetings with Christian prayer will be examined by the U.S. Supreme Court in its upcoming term. The case of Town of Greece v. Galloway will bring legislative prayer before the Court for the first time in 30 years.

From the June 2013 Report from the Capital