Town of Greece to Supreme Court: Americans should be free to pray
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys available to media following oral arguments at U.S. Supreme Court
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2013
Attorney sound bites: David Cortman | Brett Harvey
WHO: Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing the town of Greece, N.Y.
WHAT: Available to media following Supreme Court oral arguments in Town of Greece v. Galloway
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 6, immediately following hearing, which begins at 10 a.m. EDT
WHERE: Outside U.S. Supreme Court, 1 First St. NE, Washington
WASHINGTON — Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys defending prayer before public meetings will be available for media interviews at the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday following oral arguments in Town of Greece v. Galloway.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, members of the media in Washington, D.C. who desire interviews should contact Senior Director of Media Relations Greg Scott at (480) 710-1965. Members of the media outside of Washington, D.C. should call (480) 444-0020 or use the online interview request page.
“Community members should have the freedom to pray without being censored,” said Senior Counsel David Cortman. “Opening meetings with prayer is a cherished freedom that the authors of the Constitution practiced. Americans shouldn’t be forced to forfeit this freedom just to appease someone who claims to be offended by hearing a prayer.”
On May 20, the high court agreed to hear the case, which centers on a New York town’s prayer practice, but the court potentially could use the case as a means to clarify or reinforce constitutional standards on a wide array of Establishment Clause and religious freedom cases. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys together with lead counsel Thomas G. Hungar of the Washington, D.C. law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP represent the town of Greece, N.Y.
In August, the Supreme Court received 26 friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the freedom of Americans to pray as the nation’s founders did before public meetings. The briefs included support from the U.S. Department of Justice, attorneys general representing half the states in the union, numerous senators and members of Congress, and a wide array of constitutional scholars, theologians, counties and municipalities, religious liberty groups, and others. The court last affirmed America’s long-standing practice of opening public meetings with prayer in 1983 and now has the opportunity to do so again.
“The Supreme Court has already ruled that prayer is an unbroken American tradition that is perfectly constitutional,” said Senior Counsel Brett Harvey. “Nothing has changed, so we expect the court will wish to uphold this truth.”
WHAT: Available to media following Supreme Court oral arguments in Town of Greece v. Galloway
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 6, immediately following hearing, which begins at 10 a.m. EDT
WHERE: Outside U.S. Supreme Court, 1 First St. NE, Washington
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Town of Greece legal defense team (L to R): Alex Gesch, Joel Oster, Sean Sandoloski, Thomas Hungar, Brett Harvey, Derek Lyons, David Cortman, Jordan Lorence, and Thomas Johnson |
On Tuesday and Wednesday, members of the media in Washington, D.C. who desire interviews should contact Senior Director of Media Relations Greg Scott at (480) 710-1965. Members of the media outside of Washington, D.C. should call (480) 444-0020 or use the online interview request page.
“Community members should have the freedom to pray without being censored,” said Senior Counsel David Cortman. “Opening meetings with prayer is a cherished freedom that the authors of the Constitution practiced. Americans shouldn’t be forced to forfeit this freedom just to appease someone who claims to be offended by hearing a prayer.”
On May 20, the high court agreed to hear the case, which centers on a New York town’s prayer practice, but the court potentially could use the case as a means to clarify or reinforce constitutional standards on a wide array of Establishment Clause and religious freedom cases. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys together with lead counsel Thomas G. Hungar of the Washington, D.C. law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP represent the town of Greece, N.Y.
In August, the Supreme Court received 26 friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the freedom of Americans to pray as the nation’s founders did before public meetings. The briefs included support from the U.S. Department of Justice, attorneys general representing half the states in the union, numerous senators and members of Congress, and a wide array of constitutional scholars, theologians, counties and municipalities, religious liberty groups, and others. The court last affirmed America’s long-standing practice of opening public meetings with prayer in 1983 and now has the opportunity to do so again.
“The Supreme Court has already ruled that prayer is an unbroken American tradition that is perfectly constitutional,” said Senior Counsel Brett Harvey. “Nothing has changed, so we expect the court will wish to uphold this truth.”
- Fact sheet: Town of Greece v. Galloway
- Video news release: Town of Greece v. Galloway
- Pronunciation guide: Hungar (HUNG’-ahr)
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
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