Potenital County Resident Has Standing To Challenge 10 Commandments Display

In ACLU of Florida Inc. v. Dixie County Florida, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61177 (ND FL, Aug. 8, 2008), a Florida federal district court held that an ACLU member had standing (and thus so did the ACLU) to challenge on Establishment Clause grounds a stone display of the 10 Commandments on the steps of the Dixie County (FL) courthouse. The member, identified only as John Doe, did not live in Dixie County, but was looking to purchase property there on which he and his wife could park their recreational vehicle. They encountered the offending display when they went to the county courthouse to research any encumbrances on property they were considering. Because of the display, Doe decided not to make an offer on the property. Prior reports indicate that the ACLU had been having difficulty finding actual county residents to bring the challenge.