Kendall Coffey: Church and State Issues Will Go to Supreme Court

Should prayer be allowed at town hall meetings?

Kendall Coffey appeared on the Steve Malzberg Show on Thursday, November 7th to analyze current legal cases in the news.  The major discussion revolved around a case against the town of Greece, New York.  The case involves whether opening town meetings with a prayer is a violation of the separation of church and state.

Kendall Coffey commented on the case, and alluded to a future where the supreme would need to make a decision on religious traditions used in public forums.

“Of course the Supreme Court session began with these traditional words that included 'God save the United States and this honorable court.' Whatever your religious background, if you have money you will see the words in God we trust. So it is recognized fundamentally that it is part of the fabric of our country."

Coffey, a former U.S. Attorney, said that the major difference between legal prayer and illegal prayer in public settings is whether the pray is only a recognition of a greater authority, or if it is pushing specific agenda.

Kendall Coffey suspects that town of Greece will win, partly because the Obama administration has come out on favor of the practice of public prayer in this insance, and supports the town.  What makes the case interesting, is that it may serve as a catalyst for the issue to be heard by the supreme court.

What will the Supreme Court say about public prayer?

“This particular practice I think is going to be a very close call.  I would not be surprised if the Supreme Court validates and supports the town council in allowing this kind of public prayer because of the decision thirty years ago.  Recognizing that there is a higher power than any of us is part of our tradition whether it’s on our dollar bills or it’s when the Supreme Court is seated.  Keep an eye out not only for the result on this, I suspect the town will win, but whether the opinion is written in such a way that signals further development in what could be an emerging conflict or controversy.  Perhaps some new law.  This whole concept is emotional, and profoundly important, of church and state.”

Kendall Coffey regularly goes "Spinning the Law" with Steve Malzberg on Newsmax.