American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky v. Grayson County

In 2001, the Grayson County Fiscal Court approved a proposal to hang a "Foundations of American Law and Government Display" in the county courthouse. The display consisted of nine historical documents, including a copy of the Ten Commandments, along with an "Explanation Document" purporting to describe the significance of these items as foundations of law and government in the United States. The district court found that the hanging of the display was shown to have been motivated by a predominantly religious purpose, and so held that the inclusion of the Ten Commandments in the display violated the Establishment Clause. We hold that the district court erred in its assessment of the record, and conclude that plaintiffs have failed to present sufficient evidence to prove that the Fiscal Court had an impermissible purpose or that the Foundations Display endorses religion.