The ruling, which avoided the issue of constitutionality, was based on the technicality that Californian Michael Newdow could not bring the case to court because he did not have legal control over his 9-year-old daughter. It left open the possibility of future challenges.
The 8-0 decision overturned a ruling by a U.S. appeals court in California that reciting the phrase amounted to a violation of church-state separation.
Commenting on today’s decision, Richard Thompson, chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, based in Michigan, said, “Because the Court avoided deciding the Pledge case on its merits, the ACLU and other anti-religious organizations will undoubtedly find a new plaintiff to again challenge the Pledge.”
