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Won U.S. District Courts

American Atheists v. City of Detroit Downtown Development Authority

Westerners Plagued by Occasional References to Scripture

Summary

American Atheists, Inc., filed suit against the city of Detroit in 2009, claiming that reimbursements to a local church for property improvements requested by the Motor City violated the First Amendment. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled in favor St. John's Episcopal Church, stating that the reimbursements - which were part of Detroit's plan to improve its image prior to staging the Super Bowl - helped to 'ensure neutrality, not threaten it.'

Case Documents

Court
Title
Date
Appellate Court
8/18/2009
Trial Court
4/7/2006

Case Profiles

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Kevin Theriot
Kevin Theriot
Senior Counsel
Kevin Theriot serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is a key member of the Center for Life Team working to defend pro-life speech and protect medical rights of conscience.