Plaque Is Historical, Not Religious, Court Says
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A plaque of the Ten Commandments that has hung for 83 years on the facade of a courthouse in West Chester does not constitute an official endorsement of religion and may remain there for the sake of historical preservation, a court ruled.
The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals said a reasonable person familiar with the plaque’s history would regard the decision to leave it in place as religiously neutral, rather than evangelical in nature.
The plaque was attached in 1920. The courthouse was built in 1846 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
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