Thomas More Law Center's Odd Desire to Intervene

The Thomas More Law Center, representing a group called San Diegans for the Mount Soledad National War Memorial, has been rejected by a judge in its attempt to intervene in a 17 year old lawsuit against the government that demands the removal of a giant cross from public property. Regardless of one's opinion on whether the cross should be removed or not (and frankly I don't much care either way), you just have to laugh at the absolute absurdity of the TMLC thinking that they had any chance of intervening in the case. And you have to laugh even harder at the fact that they say they're going to appeal the ruling. They must really like wasting Monaghan's money.

This is every bit as ridiculous as Debbie Schlussel's attempt to intervene in the ACLU's lawsuit in Federal court in Detroit over the NSA wiretapping program - you know, the one our pals at StopTheACLU were so excited about, actually being clueless enough to think that they were going to be allowed to intervene in a real Federal court case. When will these people get a clue? When someone sues the government over a policy you support, you don't get to intervene in the court case just because you have a strong opinion on the matter. And you certainly don't get to intervene as a party to the proceedings by forming a private organization of others with a strong opinion about it 17 years after the case began. Where did these clowns go to law school, for crying out loud?

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Where did these clowns go to law school, for crying out loud?

Law school is taught by those who can't do law. Like all successful lawyers, these clowns gained their law knowledge via spontaneous generation.

The TMLC has been giving Ann Arbor a bad name for years, with these kinds of "activist court" activities. As far as I can tell, what they do has nothing to do with logic. Instead, it is a kind of self-righteous pretentiousness. It makes them feel good, so they do it.

Weren't these the same people who attempted to intervene on behalf of the publishers/authors of Of Panda's and People?

sgent-

No. The TMLC represented the Dover school board and opposed the intervention of the Foundation for Thought and Ethics (publishers of Pandas). It was the Alliance Defense Fund who represented the FTE in their attempt to intervene.

I wonder if they necessarily care whether or not it was foolish to try and intervene. After all, if they at least try, and those "evil, secular courts" shut them out, at least they can use that as evidence that Satan is opposing them, and believers need to keep those donations coming. Right?

Just out of interest, has the TMLC ever won a case?

By Ginger Yellow (not verified) on 20 Jun 2006 #permalink

And you have to laugh even harder at the fact that they say they're going to appeal the ruling.

Um, how can they appeal a ruling in a case in which they are not a party?

I suspect that this is merely grandstanding on the part of the TMLC.

BTW, what has taken the trial court 17 years to (apparently) even get to trial? That's absurd.