American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, Inc. v. State

MARTIN, Chief Judge.

On 26 July 2005, the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, Inc., (“ACLU-NC”) filed a complaint against the State seeking a declaratory judgment interpreting N.C.G.S. § 11-2, the statute that describes the procedure for the administration of oaths. The statute mandates that a person giving an oath “shall . . . require the party to be sworn to lay his hand upon the Holy Scriptures.” N.C. Gen. Stat. § 11-2. ACLU-NC sought a declaratory judgment that the term “Holy Scriptures” appearing in the statute refers not only to the Christian Bible, but also to other…