Federal court denies re-hearing of Ten Commandments case

FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A federal appeals court in Denver has denied a petition asking it to review a lower court ruling requiring the removal of a Ten Commandments monument in New Mexico. The Daily Times reports (http://bit.ly/2kNYvYf ) that a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th circuit had previously left in place the lower court ruling regarding the monument outside Bloomfield's City Hall. Petitioners asked the full court to review the case, and it has declined to do so. City Manager Eric Strahl says the City Council will likely meet to next week to decide the next step. The city could either remove the monument or appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the 2012 lawsuit on behalf of two Bloomfield residents who objected to the monument.