First Liberty Institute Condemns Lawsuit Against Judge's Courtroom Invocations

PLANO, Texas, March 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday evening, an activist group filed a lawsuit against Judge Wayne Mack over his practice of allowing volunteer chaplains to open his court sessions in prayer.

"Judge Mack's program is an excellent idea and a great way to serve the community," Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of First Liberty Institute, says. "It has already been upheld by both The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct and the Texas Attorney General. It's a settled issue."

The group initially complained about Judge Mack's interfaith chaplain prayer program in 2015. First Liberty Institute, a national religious freedom law firm, represented Judge Mack in a hearing with the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct, resulting in the commission dismissing the complaint.

In August 2016, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion clarifying that Judge Mack's practices are well within the bounds of Texas law and the Constitution.

"The law and Constitution are on Judge Mack's side. This senseless attack by an atheist group is truly sad," Shackelford says.

Read the case background at FirstLiberty.org/JudgeMack

About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.

SOURCE First Liberty Institute

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