Rocky Mountain Church Lawsuit Against Colorado County To Go ForwardMar 31, 2008 The federal District Court in Denver Colorado today (March 31, 2008) ruled that the land use case of Rocky Mountain Christian Church versus Boulder County Board of County Commissioners could go forward to trial by jury.
Boulder County had moved to dismiss the case. Today, Judge Robert E. Blackburn rejected the County’s request, allowing the case to go to a jury trial. The trial is scheduled to take place in November.
“This is a big victory for churches, synagogues and other houses of worship across the country. Now Rocky Mountain Christian Church will have its day in court and an opportunity to prove its case to a jury. That’s what federal civil rights laws are for, after all,” said Eric Rassbach, National Litigation Director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents the Rocky Mountain Christian Church.
In 2004, Rocky Mountain Christian Church, a non-denominational church in Niwot, Colorado, had applied for special use permits to expand their sanctuary and school to accommodate its growing ministries.
The Boulder County Board of County Commissioners rejected the church’s application.
The Becket Fund began assisting the law firm of Otten, Johnson, Robinson, Neff & Ragonetti, LLP of Denver in its efforts to defend the church’s civil rights. The lawsuit is based on a federal civil rights law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), and the U.S. Constitution.
The Becket Fund, based in Washington, D.C., is a public interest law firm protecting the free expression of all religious traditions. It is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and interfaith.
To arrange an interview with a Becket Fund attorney, contact Tom Carter at 202-349-7205, or 202-538-2044 (cell) or becketfund.carter@gmail.com.
For more information about The Becket Fund see www.becketfund.org. Resources & Documents
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