Federal Judge To Decide Fate Of Haskell County's Ten Commandment Monument

A 6-foot tall granite rendering of the Ten Commandments at the Haskell County Courthouse in Stigler is being challenged in federal court in Muskogee. <br/><br/>News on 6 anchor Terry Hood says both sides

Monday, May 1st 2006, 10:46 am

By: News On 6

A 6-foot tall granite rendering of the Ten Commandments at the Haskell County Courthouse in Stigler is being challenged in federal court in Muskogee.

News on 6 anchor Terry Hood says both sides have rested their case and the fate of the monument is now in the hands of a federal judge. The monument was dedicated in 2004. Fundraising for the project was spearheaded by a Haskell County pastor.

The monument features the 10 Commandments on the side that faces the street, and the Mayflower Compact on the side that faces the courthouse.

Supporters say until recently, opposition has been nearly non-existant and county commissioners have come to the monument's defense any time it's been challenged.This time, the ACLU is involved. The group sued the county on behalf of a retired Stigler man who thought the monument was inappropriate. Sharon Nichols, a Stigler resident and ACLU member, testified that "the 10 Commandments have limited significance to Haskell County" and that as a non-Christian, she's offended by religious displays on public land.

The federal judge will now weigh the testimony from both sides. He says he'll have a decision by the end of the month.

Another granite version of the Ten Commandments monument just went up at the Atoka County Courthouse about 100 miles southwest of the one in Stigler. Only time will tell if the Atoka monument will face the same legal challenges as the Stigler display.