City to appeal Commandments case to high court

BLOOMFIELD, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico city will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its appeal of a lower court ruling requiring the removal of a Ten Commandments monument outside City Hall.

The Daily Times reports that Bloomfield city councilors voted to appeal the case to the nation’s highest court after a closed session Monday night.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th circuit left in place a lower court ruling that concluded that the Christian monument violates the Constitution’s prohibition on the government endorsing a religion.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the 2012 lawsuit on behalf of two Bloomfield residents who objected to the monument.

ACLU attorney Andrew Schultz said he doesn’t expect the Supreme Court to consider the case and, if it does, he thinks it will rule against the city.