(U-WIRE) TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court finished its business before breaking for the summer. Decisions regarding two major issues: the Ten Commandments and Internet file sharing, were released, and one announcement – the retirement of one or more justices – was news because it didn’t happen.

In two separate 5-4 decisions, the court further defined the legality of public displays of the Ten Commandments with the justices affirming a Texas monument while striking down a Kentucky courthouse display.

In the Texas case, the court allowed a monument to remain on capitol grounds in Austin as one in a group of 22 monuments or historical markers. The monument, as noted by Chief Justice William Rehnquist in his majority opinion, had been in place since 1961.

In the Kentucky case, however, the court ruled that a framed copy of the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional. That display was without any other context and ran afoul of the Establishment Clause, according to the majority opinion authored by Justice David Souter.

Basically, the court ruled that intent is key when dealing with religious displays. Is the government trying to promote religion (unconstitutional) or are the commandments truly being depicted in a larger, historical context (constitutional)?

In what should have been a victory for both sides of the debate, some still found something to gripe about.

Alabama Attorney General Troy King had to have been at the forefront of the sore losers brigade. In a statement released after the decisions were handed down, he expressed his displeasure with the court.

“The United States Supreme Court has found distinctions within the First Amendment that do not exist, and bases its decision on language – separation of church and state – that is not found in the Constitution,” King said.

What’s more shameful: that the quote comes from a graduate of our law school or that it comes from our attorney general? Just another reason King is unfit to serve as Alabama’s top lawman.

While the Ten Commandments decisions were split down the center of the court, the justices managed to be unanimously behind some of the most destitute and defenseless groups in America – the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America.

In MGM v. Grokster, the court ruled file-sharing networks could be held responsible for their users’ actions if those networks were promoting copyright violations. So, record companies and movie studios can go back to suing file-sharing networks instead of hounding poor schmucks with one-too-many Coldplay freebies on their computers. And we’re glad that that evil, self-serving, dollar-chasing practice is over.

Staff Editorial

The Crimson White (U. Alabama)Supreme surprises

(U-WIRE) TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court finished its business before breaking for the summer. Decisions regarding two major issues: the Ten Commandments and Internet file sharing, were released, and one announcement – the retirement of one or more justices – was news because it didn’t happen.

In two separate 5-4 decisions, the court further defined the legality of public displays of the Ten Commandments with the justices affirming a Texas monument while striking down a Kentucky courthouse display.

In the Texas case, the court allowed a monument to remain on capitol grounds in Austin as one in a group of 22 monuments or historical markers. The monument, as noted by Chief Justice William Rehnquist in his majority opinion, had been in place since 1961.

In the Kentucky case, however, the court ruled that a framed copy of the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional. That display was without any other context and ran afoul of the Establishment Clause, according to the majority opinion authored by Justice David Souter.

Basically, the court ruled that intent is key when dealing with religious displays. Is the government trying to promote religion (unconstitutional) or are the commandments truly being depicted in a larger, historical context (constitutional)?

In what should have been a victory for both sides of the debate, some still found something to gripe about.

Alabama Attorney General Troy King had to have been at the forefront of the sore losers brigade. In a statement released after the decisions were handed down, he expressed his displeasure with the court.

“The United States Supreme Court has found distinctions within the First Amendment that do not exist, and bases its decision on language – separation of church and state – that is not found in the Constitution,” King said.

What’s more shameful: that the quote comes from a graduate of our law school or that it comes from our attorney general? Just another reason King is unfit to serve as Alabama’s top lawman.

While the Ten Commandments decisions were split down the center of the court, the justices managed to be unanimously behind some of the most destitute and defenseless groups in America – the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America.

In MGM v. Grokster, the court ruled file-sharing networks could be held responsible for their users’ actions if those networks were promoting copyright violations. So, record companies and movie studios can go back to suing file-sharing networks instead of hounding poor schmucks with one-too-many Coldplay freebies on their computers. And we’re glad that that evil, self-serving, dollar-chasing practice is over.

Staff Editorial

The Crimson White (U. Alabama)