Thomas Van Orden

Thomas Van Orden is a U.S. lawyer who challenged the constitutionality of displaying the Ten Commandments on public property. Orden, a native of Austin, Texas, graduated from Southern Methodist Law School, [cite web|url=http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/03-1500.ZS.html|title=Certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, "Van Orden v. Perry"|publisher=Cornell University Law School|accessdate=2007-11-23] and was a practicing lawyer before his suspension in December 1999. [cite web|url=http://www.law.uh.edu/Libraries/ethics/attydiscipline/june2000.html|title=Texas Ethics Reporter: DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST ATTORNEYS: June 2000|publisher=University of Houston|accessdate=2007-11-23]

"Van Orden v. Perry" was presented before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 2, 2005. The contention was that a large granite monument carved with the commandments, on display on the Texas State Capitol grounds in Austin, Texas, was unconstitutional. In a decision reached June 27, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 against Van Orden.

Van Orden is also noteworthy because he is destitute and homeless, living out of a tent. The media has thus dubbed him "The Homeless Lawyer", a label Van Orden expressed distaste for, stating, "What do you think defines me: where I slept or what I did all day?" [cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40461-2005Feb20.html|title=Supreme Court on a Shoestring|work=The Washington Post|date=2005-02-21|accessdate=2007-11-23]

In the mid-1990s, while on sabbatical from his law practice, Van Orden worked at Austin-based NuStats where he helped find solutions to transportation issues in Portland, Oregon while also helping his underpaid co-workers with various legal problems.Fact|date=February 2007

See also

*Separation of church and state in the United States
*"McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky"

References

External links

* [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week824/cover.html Religion & Ethics Newsweekly (PBS)] , includes video coverage
* " [http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2004_3810179 From the streets to the Supreme Court] ", The Houston Chronicle Oct. 17, 2004
* [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/docket/03-1500.htm U.S. Supreme Court docket for 03-1500 "Van Orden v. Perry"]