-=> Ross Sauer wrote to All <=-

 RS> Starting next week, the program will allow a city judge to sentence
 RS> misdemeanor offenders to work off their sentences in jail and pay a
 RS> fine, or go to church every Sunday for a year. Offenders who select
 RS> church can pick the place of worship but must check in weekly with the
 RS> pastor and the police department. If the one-year church attendance
 RS> program is completed successfully, the offender's case will be
 RS> dismissed.

This seems like something that would totally violate the separation of
Church and state.  As a former LEO, I don't understan why it would be up
to the police department to enforce this?  If this was the case I would
see if they had a local Unitarian Church to attend?  I wonder if they
picked the Hindu Temple as their place of worship if that would fly...
or the local Mosque.

You can't legislate morality... every time it's tried it fails!

 RS> The Alabama branch of the American Civil Liberties Union plans to send
 RS> Bay Minette officials a letter demanding that they suspend the program.

I wonder how successfult that was?

 RS>  City officials did not immediately return calls from The Associated
 RS> Press.

Working for City government her in Louisville, KY this is no surprise.

Wow... I don't know how I missed this one.

Allen

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