Current Legal Battles

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Gay Activists Seek to Boot 96-year-old Prop. 8 Supporter Off Theater Board

City: 
Oakland, CA
Date: 
01/19/2010

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists are seeking to oust an elderly Prop. 8 supporter from a theater board whose eleven members must be approved by the City Council. The Oakland City Council is expected to vote tonight on the issue.

Church Which Helps Homeless Faces Eviction

City: 
Victorville, CA
Date: 
01/14/2010

Days after signing a contract for a third year at the cinema that it had been leasing, Loveland Church received a letter from its landlord that the agreement was terminated. Dated December 30th, the letter informed the Church that January 7th would be its last day. The letter stated that the City of Victorville had determined that its zoning does not allow for a house of worship on movie theatre premises. Loveland has been renting two auditoriums for Sunday worship for two years from National Cinemark which has scores of these types of agreements with churches.

Gay Marriage on the Verge of Approval in the Capital: Congress to Determine if Voters will be Left Standing at the Altar

City: 
Washington, D.C.
Date: 
01/04/2010

The City Council for the District of Columbia passed a law allowing same sex marriage which was signed into law by Mayor Adrian Fenty on December 18th. Fenty chose All Souls Unitarian Church to sign the bill in which he stood and raised it in the air to a cheering crowd of onlookers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LB6sC0LyaM

School District Seeks Gag Order to Limit Media Access in Pregnancy Test Case

City: 
Nevada City, CA
Date: 
12/16/2009

A school district in Northern California has become so alarmed by media interest in a right to privacy lawsuit it is defending that it is now asking the court to order opposing attorneys not to talk to the media about the case.

The lawsuit is being brought on behalf of a 12-year-old student in Nevada City who was allegedly pulled out of class and forced to take a pregnancy test by a school counselor, without her parents’ knowledge or consent.

Showdown in Federal Appeals Court this Week Over Atheists’ Inauguration Prayer Suit

City: 
Washington, D.C.
Date: 
12/14/2009

Oral arguments will be held this Tuesday at the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. in a lawsuit brought by atheists seeking to stop prayers at presidential inaugurations and use of “So help me God” in the presidential oath. Pacific Justice Institute represents Drs. Rick Warren and Joseph Lowery, who offered prayers at President Obama’s inauguration and are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Bay Area Mayor Asked to Resign Over Religious Comments

City: 
Vallejo, CA
Date: 
12/10/2009

Over the last two years, the northern California town of Vallejo has made national news due to its declaration of bankruptcy in mid 2008. But, it is a dispute over comments by Mayor Osby Davis, that is now making headlines. A November 20 New York Times column quoted the Mayor as saying of gay people, “They’re committing sin and that sin will keep them out of heaven…. But you don’t hate the person. You hate the sin that they commit.”

Two years Later, Attorneys Baffled by Court Inaction on High-Profile Cases

City: 
San Francisco, CA
Date: 
12/04/2009

Two years after a three-judge panel of the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held oral arguments in two highly-charged First Amendment lawsuits, the court remains mum as to when it will reach decisions in the cases. Attorneys for the parties are mystified by the delay and have no idea how much more time will pass before the court makes a ruling.

Parents Take a Beating from School District, Court in Anti-Bullying Case

City: 
Alameda, CA
Date: 
12/01/2009

A judge today slammed parents as “bigots” for seeking to excuse their elementary-age children from controversial pro-homosexual curriculum. The parents are being represented in court by Pacific Justice Institute.

Religious Freedom Organization Expands to San Diego

City: 
San Diego, CA –
Date: 
11/25/2009

The Pacific Justice Institute, a nationally-recognized legal organization that defends religious liberties, is announcing the launch of a San Diego Law Clinic.

School District Backs Down From Plan to Hide Kids’ Medical Info from Parents

City: 
Sacramento, CA
Date: 
11/18/2009

At a packed school board meeting last night, the San Juan Unified School District reversed course and voted 3-2 not to go forward with a proposal to hide information from parents about student absences for so-called “confidential medical services,” such as abortions.

After Pacific Justice Institute learned two weeks ago that the school board was quietly moving to exclude parents, PJI sounded the alarm and sent a legal opinion letter to the Board warning of potential liability for failing to inform parents about their children’s whereabouts.