Appellate Court OK's Order To Remove Bible From Counsel's Table At Trial

A Texas state appellate court has upheld a trial court's order that a criminal defendant in a drug trial remove a Bible that he wanted to have on counsel's table in front of him. Defendant was still permitted to have the Bible nearby, but was required to place it in a less prominent location. In Alexander v. State of Texas, (TX Ct. App., March 11, 2009), the court emphasized that a trial court has inherent power to restrict displays that might detract from orderly proceedings focused on the issues to be tried. Further it concluded that absent a showing that defendant's religion in some way required him to display the Bible, there was no exercise of religion involved in merely having a book displayed to jurors.