Ten Commandments plaque can stay

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A plaque of the Ten Commandments that has hung for 86 years on a wall outside the Allegheny County Courthouse can remain in place, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia said the plaque doesn't violate the constitutional separation of church and state. Its decision upholds a district judge's ruling in July 2003, which found the plaque didn't endorse any religion.
The decision echoed a similar one over the display of the Ten Commandments at the Chester County Courthouse near Philadelphia. Chester County commissioners said they wanted to keep their 83-year-old plaque for its historic significance. The appeals court agreed in June 2003, saying the commissioners were motivated by historic preservation, not a desire to spread a religious message.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a Washington group, had sued Allegheny County four years ago on behalf of two county residents who claimed to be offended by the plaque.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.