Judge sentences offenders to attend church

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-- Judge sentences offenders to attend church

Posted by josh4 on Jun-01-2005 00:25:

Judge sentences offenders to attend church

quote:
Judge sentences offenders to attend church

LONDON, Kentucky (AP) -- A Kentucky judge has been offering some drug and alcohol offenders the option of attending worship services instead of going to jail or rehab -- a practice some say violates the separation of church and state.

District Judge Michael Caperton, 50, a devout Christian, said his goal is to "help people and their families."

"I don't think there's a church-state issue, because it's not mandatory and I say worship services instead of church," he said.

Alternative sentencing is popular across the country -- ordering vandals to repaint a graffiti-covered wall, for example. But legal experts said they didn't know of any other judges who give the option of attending church.

Caperton has offered the option about 50 times to repeat drug and alcohol offenders. It is unclear what effect the sentence has had.

David Friedman, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, said the option raises "serious constitutional problems."

"The judge is saying that those willing to go to worship services can avoid jail in the same way that those who decline to go cannot," Friedman said. "That strays from government neutrality towards religion."

Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/...e.ap/index.html

-sigh- excuse me, i'm going to go bang my head against the wall

Posted by St_Andrew on Jun-01-2005 03:22:

only in america... and perhaps the middle east?

Posted by occrider on Jun-01-2005 03:29:

Eh it's ok if you can attend the church of satan.

Posted by yarzan on Jun-01-2005 12:54:

they wouldnt do that in the middle east.

another point to ponder: youre not allowed any mention of the Bible, Jesus, etc. in schools.

but you get a free Bible in prison... so they wait till after you you commit the crime to give you a Savior...

Posted by Dupz on Jun-01-2005 13:56:

lol.. we have another "Lets Laugh at America's Stupidity" thread