Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Stigler Ten Commandments Monument

Staff and Wire Reports

WASHINGTON – A Ten Commandments monument in Stigler must be moved after the Supreme Court declined to rule in the case.

The justices decided Monday declined to rule on the case and left in place a lower court decision that a Ten Commandments marker in Haskell County must go.

The 8-foot-tall stone monument has been on the county courthouse lawn in Stigler, Okla., since 2004.

A federal appeals court ruled the monument endorses religion, pointing to comments made by a county commissioner who said, "I'm a Christian and I believe in this. I think it's a benefit to the community."

The court ruled the monument was unconstitutional because the commissioner's comments equated to a state endorsement of religion.

In 2005, the high court said in two cases that determining whether the Ten Commandments could be displayed on government property was a case-by-case affair. 

More:
Appeals Court Rules Against Haskell County Ten Commandments Monument