JURIST - Paper Chase: Federal appeals court stays ruling ordering Bible removal

A panel of the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed a lower-court ruling that would have required a Bible to be removed from a monument outside a Harris County Court building in downtown Houston, KPRC-2 reports. The appeals court did not discuss the merits of the case, but stayed the ruling until all appeals are exhausted. Houston lawyer Kay Staley had sued the county over the monument, arguing that it is offensive and has the effect of alienating non-Christians. The US District Court for the Southern District of Texas has a comprehensive listing of developments in the case, including Judge Sim Lake's full opinion [PDF], final judgment [PDF], and denial of Harris County's stay request [PDF] Monday in District Court. Read the full story.