“So help me God” and the jury – 11th Circuit rules juror who claimed “divine revelation” properly dismissed
When jurors are selected for trial in Federal court, they are asked to adopt the phrase "so help me God." What happens when they…
Chronological & Subject Repository
Author: Michael Peabody
January 2020
December 2019
Supreme Court to decide whether church school teachers are barred from suing for discrimination
The Supreme Court announced today that it would hear arguments in two employment cases involving whether teachers in Catholic Schools can file lawsuits in…
Solicitor General recommends that Supreme Court hear Sabbath accommodation case
The Solicitor General of the United States, Noel Francisco, has recommended that the United States Supreme Court agree to consider a Sabbath accommodation case…
July 2019
Supreme Court to hear challenge to Montana’s no-aid-to-religion law
The United States (U.S.) Supreme Court agreed to hear a case, Espinoza v. Montana Dept. of Revenue, concerning a Montana state legislative program that allowed…
June 2019
BREAKING: Supreme Court says WWI Cross can stand due to age
There's an old adage that bad facts make bad law, and in this case, given political exigencies, there was little to no chance that…
Why the Free Exercise Clause needs to be strengthened
The Free Exercise Clause that guarantees religious freedom is much weaker than most people realize. While freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom…
Supreme Court rules that Title VII EEOC filing requirements are mandatory but not jurisdictional
The Supreme Court issued a ruling on June 3, 2019, in a case (Fort Bend County v. Davis) involving whether a court may hear…
April 2019
Another cake case gives Court opportunity to resolve free exercise confusion
Too broad an exception from neutral, generally applicable law, and protections against discrimination vanish. Too narrow an exception and free exercise of religion protections…
New York Court Upholds Emergency Mandatory Vaccination
Taking the significance of the public health emergency and religious beliefs into account when deciding what to do in these circumstances is difficult. It…
March 2019
Supreme Court Requests Solicitor General’s Opinion on Sabbath Accommodation Case
The value of the Patterson case does not merely hinge on its facts, which would likely have to be developed at the trial level, but…