Chancellor Telford E. Forgety Jr. overturned Ballew's decision, ruling that the lower court acted unconstitutionally. He said the lower court violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, and added that the court's purpose was to determine the last name of the child, not his first name.[Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Judge Reverses Magistrate,Says Child Can Be Named "Messiah"
In Newport, Tennessee yesterday, a Cocke County Chancery Court judge reversed a widely publicized decision handed down last month by a Child Support Magistrate who ruled that parents could not name their 7-month old child "Messiah". Magistrate Lu Ann Ballew said: "The word Messiah is a title and it's a title that has only been earned by one person and that one person is Jesus Christ." (See prior posting.) According to USA Today:
