Supreme Court issues orders in two prayer cases

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday released two decisions about prayer, one granting Americans the right to pray at home and another prohibiting a North Carolina county commission from holding public prayer before its meetings.

In the first case, the justices overruled a lower court ruling against a woman whom police ordered to stop praying in her home. In 2013, officers entered the residence of Mary Anne Sause in Louisburg, Kan., to investigate a complaint that her radio was too loud. When Sause knelt to pray, an officer ordered her to stop. The Supreme Court overturned an appellate ruling granting the officers immunity.

Also on Thursday, the court declined to hear Rowan County v. Lund, a case concerning lawmaker-led prayers at county commission meetings. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Rowan County’s prayers constituted a state endorsement of religion, a decision the Supreme Court let stand. “All people should have the freedom to pray without being censored, just as the Supreme Court has held,” said Brett Harvey, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom. “As has been true throughout history, Americans don’t give up that First Amendment freedom when they become public servants.” Harvey said he expects the issue will come up again before the high court.