Newdow v. Bush

• Decision Date: 14 January 2005
• Docket Number: No. CIV.A. 04-2208(JDB).,CIV.A. 04-2208(JDB).
• Citation: 355 F.Supp.2d 265
• Parties: Michael NEWDOW, Plaintiff, v. George W. BUSH, President of the United States, et al., Defendants.
• Court: U.S. District Court — District of Columbia

355 F.Supp.2d 265

Michael NEWDOW, Plaintiff, v. George W. BUSH, President of the United States, et al., Defendants.

No. CIV.A. 04-2208(JDB).

United States District Court, District of Columbia.

January 14, 2005.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

Michael Newdow, Sacramento, CA, pro se.

Edward White, Nicholas J. Patterson, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, for George W. Bush.

George J. Terwilliger, White & Case, L.L.P., Washington, DC, for Presidential Inaugural Committee.

James Matthew Henderson, Sr., American Center for Law and Justice, Washington, DC, for American Center for Law and Justice, Inc.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

BATES, District Judge.

This case draws this Court into the murky waters of the law relating to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Plaintiff Michael Newdow, a well-known atheist litigant, challenges the inclusion of prayers by invited clergy — in the form of an invocation and benediction — at the upcoming Presidential Inauguration scheduled to occur on January 20, 2005. He seeks a declaratory judgment and preliminary injunction to prohibit a practice that has existed for almost seventy years through invited clergy, and that arguably can be traced back to the Inauguration of President George Washington in 1789.¹

Newdow's present challenge poses complex First Amendment questions relating to one of this nation's most significant public events. But in addition to such weighty Establishment Clause questions, the case raises substantial issue preclusion and standing questions that require this Court to proceed cautiously, particularly given Newdow's prior litigation involving the very same subject matter and the present context of a request for expedited consideration of a motion seeking the extraordinary relief of enjoining the President.² The Court is therefore mindful of the guidance expressed by the Supreme Court just last year in another case brought by Newdow challenging the inclusion of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance:

The command to guard jealously and exercise rarely our power to make constitutional pronouncements requires strictest adherence when matters of great national significance are at stake. Even in cases concededly within our jurisdiction under Article III, we abide by "a series of rules under which [we have] avoided passing upon a large part of all the constitutional questions pressed upon [us] for decision."

Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 124 S.Ct. 2301, 2308, 159 L.Ed.2d 98 (2004) (modifications in original) (quoting Ashwander v. TVA, 297 U.S. 288, 346, 56 S.Ct. 466, 80 L.Ed. 688 (1936) (Brandeis, J., concurring)). Taking careful account of two such rules — issue preclusion and standing — as well as Newdow's First Amendment claims, the Court concludes that the extraordinary preliminary injunctive relief Newdow seeks must be denied.³

BACKGROUND

I. Newdow's Prior Challenge to Inaugural Prayer

A few days after the 2001 Inauguration, Newdow challenged the use of inaugural prayers. See Newdow v. Bush, No. CIV S-01-218 (E.D.Cal.).⁴ Having watched the Inauguration on television, he contended that the prayer delivered was "a religious act per se" and "was clearly sectarian as well." 2001 Compl. ¶¶ 12-13. Newdow asserted that

[t]he effect of the [clergy's] purely religious words was for Christian Americans to perceive them as an endorsement of their Christianity, and for non-Christian Americans including plaintiff to perceive the Pledge [sic] as a disapproval of their non-Christianity.

Id. ¶ 29. He further alleged that because of such "religious activity," he "was made to feel as an `outsider.'" Id. ¶ 30. Newdow sought both a declaration that President Bush had violated the Establishment Clause by utilizing a clergyman in the 2001 Inauguration, and a permanent injunction barring President Bush "from repeating this or engaging in any similar religious acts." Id. at 7.

In response to President Bush's motion to dismiss, the Magistrate Judge issued findings and recommendations concluding that Newdow had Article III standing to bring his action, but recommending that the action be dismissed to the extent it challenged "permitting a chaplain (or the President) from making any prayer at the Presidential Inauguration." Newdow I (Magistrate Judge, July 17, 2001), at 12. The Magistrate Judge noted the long history of Christian prayers and reverent references at Presidential inaugurations, and concluded that the framers did not view such inaugural prayers as violative of the Establishment Clause. Id. at 8-9. Because the parties had not specifically addressed Newdow's challenge to the content of the prayers at the 2001 Inauguration, the Magistrate Judge recommended against dismissal of that claim. Id. at 10, 12.

After objections from both Newdow and President Bush, the District Court adopted the Magistrate Judge's findings and recommendations in full. Newdow I (District Court, Sept. 28, 2001 Order). Accordingly, although the action was dismissed to the extent it sought to prevent the President or a chaplain from saying a prayer at a future inauguration, the entire case was not dismissed. President Bush then moved to dismiss the remaining claim relating to the specific content of the 2001 Inauguration prayers. The Magistrate Judge then suggested that because courts cannot enjoin the President in the circumstances Newdow presented, the entire case should be dismissed. Newdow I (Magistrate Judge, Dec. 28, 2001), at 13. The Magistrate Judge concluded both that the courts lack constitutional authority to regulate the Presidential inauguration or what the President or his speakers said, and alternatively, that there was no Establishment Clause violation and Newdow did not have standing to challenge the content of future inaugural prayers. Id. at 7, 13.

After Newdow filed objections together with a motion to amend his complaint in order to assert claims against Senator Mitch McConnell (as chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies), the Magistrate Judge issued final findings and recommendations suggesting that the motion be denied because the court would lack constitutional authority to regulate Congressional participation in a Presidential inauguration just as it could not regulate what the President or others said at an inauguration. Newdow I (Magistrate Judge, Mar. 26, 2002), at 6. The Magistrate Judge also observed, that suing Senator McConnell did not give Newdow any greater standing to challenge the content of a prayer, and a federal court could not enjoin the President, a senator or any other government official with regard to what was said at a Presidential inauguration. Id. at 6-7. The Magistrate Judge therefore resubmitted his December 28, 2001 findings and recommendations, with supplementation, because adding Senator McConnell or anyone else would not alter the recommendation in favor of dismissal. The District Court adopted the findings and recommendations and dismissed Newdow's case in its entirety. Newdow I (District Court, May 23, 2002 Order), at 2.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing Newdow's action. Newdow v. Bush, 89 Fed.Appx. 624, 625 (9th Cir. Feb.17, 2004). That court characterized Newdow's case as "alleging that the inclusion of clergy-led prayer at a presidential inauguration is unconstitutional in general, and that the prayer offered ... at the 2001 Inauguration of President Bush was unconstitutional in particular." Id. After noting that it had jurisdiction and could affirm on any appropriate ground, the court stated the entirety of its ruling:

Newdow lacks standing to bring this action because he does not allege a sufficiently concrete and specific injury. See Valley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Inc., 454 U.S. 464, 482-86, 102 S.Ct. 752, 70 L.Ed.2d 700 ... (1982).

The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Newdow's motion to file an amended complaint because amendment would be futile. See Schmier v. U.S.Ct. of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 279 F.3d 817, 824 (9th Cir.2002).

Id. Newdow did not seek any further review of the Ninth Circuit's decision.

II. Newdow's Current Challenge

President Bush will be sworn in for his second term as the 43rd President at the January 20, 2005 Inauguration. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies ("JCCIC") has been authorized to make all the necessary arrangements for the inauguration of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. See Senate Concurrent Resolutions 93 and 94, 150 Cong. Rec. S1695 (Feb. 26, 2004), 150 Cong. Rec. H1081-82 (Mar. 16, 2004); S. Con. Res. 2, 109th Cong., reprinted in 151 Cong. Rec. S7 (daily ed. Jan. 4, 2005). The chair of the JCCIC is Senator Trent Lott. President Bush has appointed a private organization, the Presidential Inaugural Committee ("PIC"), to coordinate the ceremonial events connected with the inauguration. See 36 U.S.C. § 501.

On December 16, 2004, Newdow contacted the PIC and was informed that there would be chaplains at the 2005 Inauguration, although he was not told how many or who they would be. See Compl. ¶ 41. Newdow then filed this action and a motion for a preliminary injunction on December 21, 2004, challenging the constitutionality of the use of any member of the clergy (or other invited guests) to deliver prayers at the 2005 Inauguration. See Compl. ¶¶ 35-47. Included as defendants in Newdow's action are President Bush, the JCCIC, Senator Lott, the PIC, and Craig Jenkins, Executive Director of PIC.⁵

Newdow describes himself as "an atheist, who sincerely believes that there is no such thing as god, or God, or any supernatural force." Id. ¶ 19; see Elk Grove, 124 S.Ct. at 2305-06. He asserts that any acknowledgment of God ridicules, rather than solemnizes, public occasions, Compl ¶ 20, and alleges that at the 2001 Inauguration, Christian ministers gave sectarian...