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Oklahoma Supreme Court Denies Rehearing Over Ten Commandments Monument

Ryan LaCroix
/
Oklahoma Public Media Exchange

The Oklahoma Supreme Court Monday reaffirmed its decision that a Ten Commandments monument must be removed from the capitol grounds. The high court denied Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s request for a rehearing.

The state supreme court justices found nothing of merit to rehear the case. They ruled on June 30 that the monument was in violation of the state constitution’s ban on using public money for religious purposes. 

American Civil Liberties Union legal director Brady Henderson says he expected the court’s decision to reaffirm.

“We understood when we saw the order of June 30, the original decision in the case, that it was both factually accurate and legal correct. We didn’t have much concern about the court wanting to change its result,” Henderson said.

Republican state Representative John Paul Jordan of Yukon filed an amendment to change that provision of the constitution in 2016. He wasn’t surprised by the court’s denial of a rehearing.

“A lot of times what happens is with a judge is that once they have evaluated a case and they have made their ruling or issued their opinion, they don’t tend to stray from that opinion,” Jordan said. 

Other conservative legislators have called for impeaching the seven judges who ruled the monument must be taken down.

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Jacob McCleland spent nine years as a reporter and host at public radio station KRCU in Cape Girardeau, Mo. His stories have appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Here & Now, Harvest Public Media and PRI’s The World. Jacob has reported on floods, disappearing languages, crop duster pilots, anvil shooters, Manuel Noriega, mule jumps and more.
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