According to city of Gilbert, Ariz., officials, their zoning ordinance bans churches from meeting, holding Bible studies, or having any other activities in private homes, regardless of their size, nature.
In November 2009, city officials sent a cease-and-desist letter to a pastor and his wife of Oasis of Truth Church ordering them to terminate all religious meetings [...]

An 18-year-old lesbian in Mississippi has filed a lawsuit claiming her high school violated her free-speech rights by canceling the prom after she asked to take her girlfriend and to wear a tuxedo instead of a dress.
Constance McMillen, a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School, was told by the school that she could not arrive at the prom with her [...]

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday on two separate cases that the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and our national motto, “In God We Trust,” do not violate the Constitution’s separation of church and state.
“The Pledge is constitutional,”  wrote Judge Carlos Bea for the majority in the 2-1 ruling by the 9th [...]

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts visited the University of Alabama Law School on Tuesday in which he said the President’s rebuke during the State of the Union was “very troubling.”
Justice Roberts addressed students at the law school about the history of the nations highest court and then took time to answer questions from members [...]

A New York federal judge said Congress’ move to cut funding to the activist and controversial group ACORN, is unconstitutional.
In a written ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon said ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) was punished by Congress without the enactment of administrative processes to decide if money had been handled [...]

An Amicus Brief was filed in the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday seeking the court to protect the privacy rights of individuals who want to repeal a law that gives all the privileges of marriage to same-sex partners in Washington State.
Liberty Counsel, a “nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization,” filed the brief seeking the court to [...]

Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed an appeal Wednesday regarding a court decision that restricts a North Carolina county from opening public meetings with prayers calling on the name of a deity.
In the case, Joyner v. Forsyth County, federal judge James A. Beaty ruled on January 28 that Forsyth County’s invocation policy is unconstitutional.  [...]

For nearly a decade, the American Civil Liberties Union has been trying to silence an Ohio judge from expressing his legal philosophy.
The ACLU finds it wrong that Common Pleas Judge James DeWeese of Ohio display a small poster that compares moral absolutes with moral relativism.
Judge DeWeese’s poster has on the left hand side the Ten [...]

The California Court of Appeal is considering the constitutionality of a shopping mall’s attempt to prevent adult patrons from talking to each other about topics such as religion and politics.
Matthew Snatchko, a youth pastor, struck up a casual conversation with two other shoppers at the Roseville Galleria Mall in 2006. Although had first obtained the [...]

The San Francisco Chronicle published an interesting article on Sunday that read:
The biggest open secret in the landmark trial over same-sex marriage being heard in San Francisco is that the federal judge who will decide the case, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, is himself gay.
He has “never taken pains to disguise – or advertise [...]