Split the Ninth Circus

defending the First Amendment against the Christian right ...

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Split the Ninth Circus

Family Research Council, November 7, 2005

FRC's Vice President for Government Affairs Connie Mackey joined seven Members of Congress Friday in a Capitol Hill press conference to push for splitting the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Congress has the constitutional authority to create new circuit courts of appeals. The move comes in the wake of the Ninth "Circus'" outrageous decision last week denying parents' rights in education. Children as young as seven were "surveyed" by the Palmdale, California public schools. The children were asked explicit questions about sex. Connie Mackey pointed out that Judge Stephen Reinhardt has a long record of liberal judicial activism.

In 1997, he received FRC's "Invisible Ink" award during our annual Court Jesters presentations. That award goes to the federal judge who finds constitutional "rights" never mentioned in the Constitution, but who ignores those that are spelled out clearly. In 1998, Judge Reinhardt got the "Lifetime Achievement" award--a satirical slam for his ceaseless activism. Mrs. Mackey noted that Judge Reinhardt's court notoriously ruled against "Under God" in the Pledge and is the most routinely overturned circuit court in the nation. Joining FRC for this event were seven Members of Congress: Tim Murphy (R-Penn.), Joe Pitts (R-Penn.), Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), and Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.)

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FRC's Connie Mackey Joins Members of Congress to Express Outrage at California Appeals Court

November 4, 2005 - Friday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 4, 2005 CONTACT: Amber Hildebrand, (202) 393-2100

Washington, D.C. - Parents will no longer have a say in what public schools teach their children if a recent decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is upheld.

Connie Mackey, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Family Research Council (FRC) has joined Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18) and a group of members of Congress in denouncing the decision that allowed a California school district to survey young elementary children about sex without parental consent.

Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is "notoriously out of the mainstream," says Mackey.

"He is an ideologue whose rulings FRC has watched over the last 10 years. The 9th Circuit is the most activist of all courts and Judge Reinhardt is the worst offender of them all."

Congressman Tim Murphy's statement, released earlier today, said, "Courts have now ruled that while first graders cannot be forced to pray or say 'Under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance, they can be forced to answer deeper personal questions which are developmentally inappropriate without informed parental consent or knowledge.

"The 9th Circuit has undermined the long-standing precedent that the right to raise and educate one's children is a fundamental right."

The Court's decision held "that there is no free-standing fundamental right of parents to control the upbringing of their children by introducing them to matters of and relating to sex in accordance with their personal and religious values and beliefs."

Judge Reinhardt has received two "Court Jester" awards from Family Research Council as a result of his extreme rulings and decisions that have earned the 9th Circuit's extreme activist reputation.

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