Tuesday, U.S. Supreme Court justices left in place a federal appeals court ruling that held that the predominantly Christian prayers at the start of Forsyth County commission meetings violated the First Amendment's prohibition on government endorsement of a particular religion.
The commission says its doors have long been open to religious leaders of many faiths. But the appeals court in Richmond, Va., found that more than three-quarters of the 33 invocations given before meetings between May 2007 and December 2008 referred to "Jesus," ''Jesus Christ," ''Christ" or "Savior."
According to the Winston Salem Journal, in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision, cities and counties all over the state will be getting letters from the American Civil Liberties Union warning them to stop allowing sectarian prayers.
The newspaper report says the ACLU will also be sending Forsyth County a bill for about $200,000 in legal fees. A local group of prayer supporters had pledged $300,000 for the county's legal defense.
The Supreme Court receives more than 10,000 applications for appeal each year, but normally hears only about 100 cases.
An Internet blog that follows the U.S. Supreme Court had recently listed the Forsyth County case as one that stood a "reasonable" chance of being taken up by the Supreme Court.
