West Virginia County Decides Against Easter Cross After Legal Advice

Friday's Cumberland (MD) Times-News reported that, despite approval by the County Commission, no 7-foot tall cross was put up on the lawn of the Mineral County (WV) Courthouse over Easter weekend. Two days after Commission approval for the display that was to be sponsored by the Keyser Presbyterian Church, Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a complaint on behalf of a county resident. County commissioners then contacted Chris Winberg, an attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice, who advised that "the proposed display could not be successfully defended in a court action." This led Commission President Janice LaRue to cancel permission, fearing the cost of legal fees that the county would have to pay in any legal challenge. [Corrected].