Source: The Ledger-Enquirer
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/158/story/541966.html
A federal judge Thursday ordered South Carolina to freeze plans to produce a special "I Believe" license plate, refund motorists who have prepaid for the plates and direct them to make a different selection.
The plates, designed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, bearing a gold cross and a stained-glass window with the words "I Believe" across the top, amount to state-sponsored religious preference, U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled in Columbia.
"The court . . . directs (the state) to take all actions necessary to preserve the status quo," Currie ordered, pending further legal action.
The injunction, sought by four religious leaders, including Christians and Jews, and two religious groups including Hindus and Arabs, is temporary and may be appealed.
But Currie said the case would have a strong chance of success in court in showing the public's First Amendment rights barring Congress and state governments from establishing a religion were violated by the plates.