OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma County judge has postponed deciding whether to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a Ten Commandments located on the grounds of the state Capitol.
District Judge Thomas Prince ruled Friday there are technical problems with a motion to dismiss the case. Prince ordered that a new motion and legal briefs be filed and rescheduled the hearing for Sept. 12.
Republican Rep. Mike Ritze and his family paid nearly $10,000 to build and erect the 6-foot-tall granite monument authorized by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2009 and signed into law by then-Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit in August against the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission. Courts have ruled against many similar monuments, saying they could imply the government is endorsing religion.