Pleasant Grove fights on for 10 Commandments
In documents filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, Pleasant Grove attorneys argue against claims by a religion called Summum that the Ten Commandments monument violates freedom of expression and the establishment clause in the U.S. and Utah constitutions.
In early August, the Utah County city was sued because its officials denied a request to display a monument of Seven Aphorisms of Summum.
The president of the Salt Lake-based religion requested permission to erect a monument in a Pleasant Grove park near 100 North and 100 East. The park features a display of the Ten Commandments that was erected by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
City officials denied the Summum request because they felt it did not directly relate to the history of Pleasant Grove and was not being donated by a group with longstanding ties to the community, according to court documents.
In 1997 and 2002 the Summum religion successfully sued Salt Lake County and the city of Ogden in similar suits seeking to allow the Aphorisms to be shown alongside public displays of the Ten Commandments.
Barnard did not return a call from the Deseret Morning News on Thursday.
Nearly the same time as the Summum suit was filed, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver reversed a lower court decision that had affirmed Pleasant Grove's Ten Commandments display. The city was sued by the Society of Separationists, who sought removal of the religious reference.
Now the case will be heard again in the lower court in Salt Lake City.
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com
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