Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-15-06059/USCOURTS-ca10-15-06059-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT 

_________________________________ 

AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC., a 

New Jersey corporation authorized 

in the State of Oklahoma; WILLIAM 

POIRE; AIMEE BREEZE, 

individually, 

 Plaintiffs - Appellants, 

v. 

TRAIT THOMPSON, Chair of the 

State Capitol Preservation 

Commission; VICKIE HICKS, 

Member (Governor) of the State 

Capitol Preservation Commission; 

MARK LIOTTA, Member (House) 

of the State Capitol Preservation 

Commission; CAROLYN 

THOMPSON, Member (House) of 

the State Capitol Preservation 

Commission; VACANT SEAT, 

Member (House) of the State 

Capitol Preservation Commission; 

LOU KERR, Member (Senate) of the 

State Capitol Preservation 

Commission; JUDY JOHNSON, 

Member (Senate) of the State 

Capitol Preservation Commission; 

PAUL MEYER, Member (Governor) 

of the State Capitol Preservation 

Commission; LINDA 

EDMONDSON, Member (Governor) 

of the State Capitol Preservation 

Commission; BRUCE FISHER, 

Member (Supreme Court) of the 

State Capitol Preservation 

Commission; DUANE MASS, 

Ex-officio Capitol Architect and 

No. 15-6059 

(D.C. No. 5:14-CV-00042-C) 

(W.D. Okla.) 

FILED 

United States Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit 

January 26, 2016

Elisabeth A. Shumaker 

Clerk of Court

Appellate Case: 15-6059 Document: 01019560435 Date Filed: 01/26/2016 Page: 1 
2 

Curator; MICHELLE DAY, 

Ex-officio Administrator Division of 

Capitol Assets Management; DOUG 

KELLOGG, Ex-offico Capitol 

Building Superintendent; JAMES 

PICKEL, Chair, Oklahoma Arts 

Council; EMMY STIDHAM, 

Ex-officio President - Oklahoma 

Historical Society, 

 Defendants - Appellees. 

_________________________________ 

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

_________________________________ 

Before BACHARACH, O’BRIEN, and PHILLIPS, Circuit Judges. 

_________________________________ 

The appellants challenge the presence of a Ten Commandments 

monument on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol. During the 

pendency of the appeal, however, the Oklahoma Supreme Court held that 

the monument violates the state constitution. Prescott v. Okla. Capitol 

Pres. Comm’n, — P.3d —, 2015 Okla. 54, 2015 WL 3982750 (Okla. 

July 27, 2015). The monument was ultimately removed roughly two months 

ago. Accordingly, the appellees move to dismiss this appeal as moot, 

arguing that no case or controversy remains for us to decide. 

 

*

 The Court has determined that oral argument would not materially 

aid our consideration of the appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. 

R. 34.1(G). Thus, we have decided the appeal based on the briefs. 

 This order and judgment does not constitute binding precedent except 

under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. 

But our order and judgment may be cited for its persuasive value under 

Fed. R. App. P. 32.1(a) and 10th Cir. R. 32.1(A). 

Appellate Case: 15-6059 Document: 01019560435 Date Filed: 01/26/2016 Page: 2 
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Though the appellants did not respond to the motion to dismiss, they 

conceded in their reply brief that the case may have become moot. We 

agree with the appellees, concluding that the action is moot now that the 

monument has been removed from the state capitol. Thus, we grant the 

appellees’ motion and dismiss the appeal. 

 Entered for the Court 

 Robert E. Bacharach 

 Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 15-6059 Document: 01019560435 Date Filed: 01/26/2016 Page: 3