Written by Don Byrd
In one of the stranger stories of the year last month, a Tennessee magistrate judge ruled a woman could not name her baby “Messiah” because of its religious significance. Unsurprisingly, that ruling did not survive scrutiny. At a hearing yesterday, a chancellor overturned that ruling and found the magistrate acted unconstitutionally.
The Associated Press reports:
Forgety said there was no basis in the law for changing a child’s first name where both parents are in agreement about it. He also said that Ballew’s decision violates the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
By agreement of the parents, Forgety ordered the child’s name to be changed to Messiah Deshawn McCullough.
…
[Jaleesa] Martin’s attorney, Kristi Davis, said after the hearing that she was not surprised by how much public interest there was in the case, calling it “a reflection of the fact that we, as Americans, care about our civil liberties.“I think it’s truly a recognition by the citizens of our country that when a judge oversteps his or her bounds and infringes on the constitutional rights of the people that come in front of them, it’s something that we don’t like, and it’s something that we pay attention to.”
It’s nice to see good sense ultimately prevail. What would make a judge think a child’s name could be changed for such a reason?
