Number: RS22223
Title: Public Display of the Ten Commandments
Authors: Cynthia Brougher, American Law Division 
Abstract: In 1980, the Supreme Court held in Stone v. Graham that a Kentucky statute requiring the posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments on the wall of each public school classroom in the state had no secular legislative purpose and was therefore unconstitutional. The Court did not address the constitutionality of public displays of the Ten Commandments again until 2005. In McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky and Van Orden v. Perry, the Court reached differing conclusions regarding displays of the Ten Commandments in different contexts. This report summarizes the Court's holdings in Stone, McCreary, and Van Orden, and analyzes the distinctions the Court made in reaching the divergent decisions. It also addresses the potential impact of the decisions in Establishment Clause jurisprudence and the case of Pleasant Grove City, Utah v. Summum, a case scheduled to be argued before the Court in November 2008.
Pages: 6
Date: October 8, 2008