Court Tells Prosecutor To Remove Ash Wednesday Markings

Ash Wednesday yesterday led to an unusual ruling in a Marshall County, Iowa courtroom. Today's Marshalltown (IA) Times-Republican reports that after the lunch recess in an attempted murder trial, the prosecutor handling the case returned to court with ash on his forehead-- a traditional Catholic practice on the day on which Lent begins. The court agreed with defense counsel that the ash should be removed before the jury returned to avoid improper influence for or against the prosecution's case. Assistant County Attorney Paul Crawford complied, saying he understood the request was made out of an abundance of caution.