Maryland Attorney General Seeks To Preserve Cross-Shaped Memorial
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ/AP) — Maryland's attorney general is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve a cross-shaped memorial on public land which serves to honor the men killed in World War I.
The Washington Post reports Attorney General Brian Frosh filed a brief in the case, which challenges the constitutionality of the 40-foot-tall (12-meter) cross in Prince George's County. The cross sits in a median at an intersection in Bladensburg and is maintained with taxpayer funds.
The court has not decided whether to take the case.
Gov. Larry Hogan released a statement Friday about the state's filing of an amicus brief in support of a petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of American Humanist Association et al v. Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
"The Peace Cross has stood for nearly 100 years as a beloved memorial to our veterans, and our administration is determined to fight all the way to the highest court in the land to keep it standing tall and proud. Built in 1925 by families in Prince George's County and members of the American Legion to honor the fallen from World War I, this monument is an incredible tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
"We are now moving one step closer to having the wrongs of lower court decisions righted by the Supreme Court with the filing of this amicus brief. I thank Attorney General Brian Frosh for finally moving forward on our directive to take this action, and I am pleased to now have bipartisan support from Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller and members of the Maryland Senate. We now look forward to working together to preserve our historic Peace Cross for future generations so that we never forget our nation's heroes."
The Washington-based American Humanist Association filed a lawsuit saying religious symbolism on public land violates the First Amendment.
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