ACLU: Montgomery's sending clergy to crime scenes raises 'serious First Amendment concerns'

[Redfairen]

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama is requesting public records on the Montgomery Police Department’s Operation Good Shepherd out of concern that the city is crossing its boundaries when it comes to having ministers speak to crime victims.

“The concern is that the government needs to be neutral when it comes to religion,” ACLU of Alabama Executive Director Susan Watson said.

ACLU of Alabama Legal Director Randall Marshall said the government training ministers to speak with crime victims at the scene raises “serious First Amendment concerns.”

The Montgomery Department of Public Safety confirmed today that it has received the public records request from the ACLU and letters from the Freedom from Religion Foundation and American Atheists Inc. stating the program violates the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

http://blog.al.com/montgomery/2013/10/aclu_montgomerys_sending_clerg.html#incart_river_default

[gopiscrap]

1. I work in a church peace and justice project and I feel squemish about this