[N.C.] Court officials cover up Ten Commandments as trial begins

Durham Herald-Sun [Durham, N.C.] ^ | February 3, 2004 | The Associated Press

[Constitution Day]

Court officials cover up Ten Commandments as trial begins

The Associated Press
February 3, 2004   7:29 am

NASHVILLE, N.C. -- Attorneys in a capital murder trial are squabbling over a cover-up of the Ten Commandments displayed on a wall at the Nash County Courthouse.

After a request from the defense team, Superior Court Judge Quentin Sumner ruled on Monday the two panels that show the Ten Commandments will be covered for the duration of Andre Edwards' trial. The order upset prosecutors.

"We understand the constitutional separation of church and state, but the next thing they'll be asking for is that the Bible be removed from the courtroom when witnesses come up to testify," said Assistant District Attorney Keith Werner.

"If we're going to be covering them up for this trial, we should be covering them up for every trial."

Defense attorneys Sam Dixon and Tommy Moore filed a motion last week, requesting that the judge have the panels covered. Dixon argued that the displays should be covered to provide his client with a fair trial, especially considering that Edwards could be sentenced to death if he is convicted.

"This is the most important of all trials -- one in which the state is looking to take a man's life from him," Dixon said.

On Friday, county maintenance workers covered the displays, which were painted about 90 years ago on each side of the judge's bench. Sumner said his decision was based partially on avoiding an appeal in the case.

"This trial is the state versus Andre Edwards, not the state versus the Ten Commandments or the country versus the Ten Commandments," the judge said.

Jury selection also began Monday and was expected to last two weeks. The entire trial could run as long as eight to 10 weeks, court officials said.

Andre Edwards, 34, is charged with abducting Ginger Hayes and her 18-month-old baby in June 2001 from outside the store and forcing her to drive to a remote area. Along the way, he forced the woman to withdraw cash from a teller machine in Rocky Mount

Police said Edwards raped the woman and beat her to death with a tire rim and left the baby boy for dead. Nicholas Hayes, now 4, suffered severe sunburn in 90-degree heat but did survive.

Authorities tracked Edwards through his use of the ATM card.

Jeremy Hayes was driving his wife and son from Myrtle Beach, S.C., back to their home in Hampton, Va., when he went into the CVS store for snacks. But when the Air Force staff sergeant came outside, his car and his family were gone.

URL for this article: http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-442591.html

[azhenfud]

"Funny how these things have never bothered anyone for the past 90 years."

For much of those 90, if one were "offended" by The Ten, they'd exercise the good sense not to admit it in the company of predominately Southern or Free Will Baptists.

[Constitution Day]

I've been meaning to pick up David Limbaugh's book, but haven't yet.
Yes, it IS funny how no one complained for 90 years, and I daresay that this is NOT the first murder trial held in this courthouse.

I'll be sure to post follow-ups on this as the trial progresses.

[freeangel]

I guess the commandment not to kill "offends" murderers. We wouldn't want to make them feel badly, would we?

[tioga]

-amazing -- liberal groups would tell us we are inhumane if we are against abortion and inhumane if we are for the death penalty. The only sense I can make of it is that they love to kill and get away with it.

[Devil_Anse]

I'm waiting for the day when, if convicted, this defendant comes out to some interviewer, or maybe in one of his appeals, and says, "I have now found God. I read the Bible daily," yada yada yada.

It'll come, trust me.

As for covering up the Ten Commandments, I think every courthouse in today's current climate should have a Ten Commandments wall hanging, with a shroud covering it, as they have in this courthouse. It makes an even more powerful statement than does the appearance of the Commandments themselves.

A shrouded copy of the Ten Commandments on the wall could well be called a religious symbol of atheism. Funny how it's okay for the symbols of the atheist religion to hang on the courthouse wall, but not for the symbols of any other religions to hang there.

[Windom Earle]

Disgusting on many counts

Judge Sumner is spineless. No doubt he is also a RAT, although the legislature conveniently went to non partisan elections when the tide started to change

I do not think it is a CYA situation. We do have a conservative, GOP controlled NC Supreme Court. No doubt in my mind that they wouldn't overturn a jury decision on this ground.

Shame on the defense attorneys. What a lame motion to make. They should be sanctioned.

CD, does the local media say that this is the Sam Dixon from the Edenton, Elizabeth City area? If so, I"ll have something to say.

What a disgusting crime.

[Constitution Day]

Spineless, I agree.

Sumner is registered "unaffiliated", how convenient.
Re: the non-partisan judicial elections, have you seen the commercial with former Govs. Hunt and Holshouser exhorting us to support public financing for judicial candidates?

Don't know if this Sam Dixon is the one you refer to.
The latest news about this story doesn't say.
I seem to recall someone by that name running in the Dem. primary for Clayton's 1st Dist. seat, now held by Ballance... am I wrong?

I need to FRmail you; will try to do so this morning.

[Windom Earle]

Sumner may be unaffiliated since elections are now "nonpartisan" but if my memory serves, he is a RAT.

The guy you're thinking of who ran for Congress is Sam Davis, who runs a hardware store.