Associated Press – August 14, 2008
ANDALUSIA, Alabama – An Alabama judge who once wore the Ten Commandments of the Bible embroidered on his robe has been accused of violating judicial ethics for ordering a group in his courtroom to hold hands and pray.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against Covington County Circuit Judge Ashley McKathan, said Olivia Turner, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama. The complaint said McKathan violated ethics rules and the U.S. Constitution’s separation of church and state by ordering the group to pray.
Four years ago, McKathan donned the Ten Commandments robe, he said, to publicly acknowledge his belief that the law is based on more than just words written in law books.
The ACLU complaint to the Judicial Inquiry Commission said McKathan dropped to his knees and prayed aloud during a court hearing in February. He told the 100 people in the courtroom that he was not afraid to call on the name of Jesus Christ, witnesses said, and ordered all to join hands and pray, according to the complaint filed soon after the hearing.
The hearing was for a case in which the pastor and several deacons of Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Monroeville sued the church’s former secretary to gain possession of financial records.
In response to the complaint, McKathan told the Mobile Press-Register for a story Thursday: “Whatever comes of all that, I’ll continue to have peace.” Quoting Romans in the King James version of the Bible, the judge added: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.”
McKathan did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press Thursday.
The complaint was filed on behalf of several Monroeville residents, including some church members.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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posted August 15, 2008 at 5:22 pm
My first reaction…the man’s loony! But it is Alabama. My past home.
He ordered a group of people in his court to hold hands and pray? Obviously he felt he was in a church environment! No it is a courtroom and has nothing to do with church. Guess his law school didn’t teach him about the First Amendment. Think it’s time he seriously considers retiring!!!
posted August 15, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Falling to your knees in a courtroom, and being the Judge presiding over it is more than a little extreme in action. Perhaps he should consider changing professions.
posted August 15, 2008 at 7:10 pm
The man should be held in comtempt. How dare he.
There’s a time and a place. This was neither.
And ordering others to join him?
I seriously hope he’s either counseled (in the administrative sense), or disbarred.
posted August 15, 2008 at 7:55 pm
It’s some strange combination of seeking publicity (again) and actually believing this stuff. I have no idea how much of either one. But needless to say it’s out of place and he should be reprimanded by the appropriate body and, if he does such again, fired. I don’t know if that can be done or if it would be done in Alabama.
No doubt there are crazy voters out there who commend such nonsense. I hope there aren’t a lot of them, even in Alabama!
posted August 15, 2008 at 8:12 pm
nnmns:
“No doubt there are crazy voters out there who commend such nonsense. I hope there aren’t a lot of them, even in Alabama!”
Believe me when I tell you that there are a lot of Alabama voters who would commend such nonsense. Very conservative, old south thinking still in that state. Being 2008 makes no difference. Lived there a long time…and was glad to leave. Still have a sister there but she is most certainly NOT Old South.
posted August 16, 2008 at 12:48 am
This guy wants attention. He really doesn’t care how he gets it. He is exploiting Judeo-Christianity in order to scratch his rash. And right off the bat, he is violating one of the first of the Big Ten. He has made an idol of the the very commandments he pretends to honor. By Bedazzling (trademark here) his robe with the Big Ten he has taken them from the realm of faith foundation and made them into a Magic Talisman of Truth (comic book crash of thunder and flash of lightning here). Now when he prays so fervently in public he has become the Publican that Jesus warned his disciples about – great public displays of piety of become camouflage for some personal impropriety. He is a buffoon for making these broad gestures, and the folks who elect him are simply giving him their applause. Lift his robes (I mean virtually or metaphorically, but it may be fun actually too) and there may quite the surprise beneath.
posted August 16, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Remind me again; why did we care that the South seceded?
posted August 18, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Actually it is not the intent of the constitution to actually separate a person from their religious rights anywhere, in public or in state facilities, that is a recent misconception promoted by a few liberals with agendas against God. Just a few years ago it would not have even created a comment.
posted August 18, 2008 at 12:32 pm
That being said no one should ever order anyone to pray I’m sure God does not want forced prayer if that is the actual situation I mean it is the AP
posted August 18, 2008 at 12:39 pm
cknuck, it’s Alabama…I’m sure it happened!
posted August 18, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Actually it is not the intent of the constitution to actually separate a person from their religious rights anywhere, in public or in state facilities, that is a recent misconception promoted by a few liberals with agendas against God.
Another hysterical statement that misses the point.
I’m a liberal and hardly against G-d.
And no one is trying to “separate a person from their religious rights…” blah blah blah. And people don’t have the right to do what their religion tells them whenever they want, or maybe we’d be having communion and circumcisions in courthouses, too, as well as any other place they see fit. I can also see the response when a Muslim pulls out their mat for mid-day prayer while court is in session.
If someone beside the judge carried on like that in most courts, they’d likely be found in comtempt.
There’s a time and a place for everything.
However – for a judge to (1) carry on like that in court, and (2) try to force others to comply is atrocious.
And it clearly seems the judge’s display of apparent faith was nothing more than showmanship. Utterly unacceptable.