The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-06-30
DURING THIS SESSION:
Supreme Court Has Ruled
On Many Controversies
WASHINGTON NCl

Upheld laws banning un-
necessary Sunday sales.
Upheld fsx.psid bus rides
for private school children.
Upheld prior censorship
of motion pictures.
Struck down the require.
ment of q declaration of be-
lief in Gods existence as a
condition for public office.
Reversed an ohscenity
conviction based on illegally
obtained evidence.
Reversed an obseenity
ruling because police confis-
cation procedures lacked safe.
guards for nonobseene ma.
ferial.
Declined TO rule on laws
banning artificial birth con-
troll.
Refused TO review . lower
court ruling which held ii IN
constitutional to use public
funds to pay private school
aution.
INSTRUCTED a lower court
10 reconsider its ruling
against Bible reading in pub
lie schools.
In addition, there were at
least two major decisions aim
ed at curling activities Of
the US. Communist party.
oUANTITY-WlSE, it was an
impressive achievement on
which the nine Justices Of the
nations highest court could
look back as they closed up
shop for the summer June
1877. They had handed down
no written decisions and TAX
en- action in hundreds of 9TH
er cases.
As usual, 1t appeared that
many of the courts actions
would be the subjects of de.
bate and discussion for a long
time to come. Some clue To
the reason is contained in the
fact that only 30 of the courts
10 written decisions we're
unanimous.
THE COURTS ACTIONS
with a Church-State issue
were no exception TO the gen.
eral rule of controversy.
Three of these related TO the
always touchy area of schools.
The first upon which the
court took action involved BIZ
BILE reading in the public
schools Of Pennsylvania. On
October "a the high court in
structed a Federal court to
reconsider a 1859 ruling by
which il barred the practice.
The Supreme Court set aside
the lower courts ruling in
view OF the fact that the Penn
sylvania state legislature had
subsequently enacted a new
law under which participation
in the public school Bible
reading sessions was made
n~on-c0mpulsory.
The court upheld tax-paid
rides for private school pu-
pills in a February 20 action
d%ismlssing, for want of a
Federal question" a chal-
length to the practice in Con
necticut.
THE CONNECTICUT LAW
allows private school children
10 ride buses TO school free
OF charge after voters in a
community give their approval
by referendum. Nearly 20
states have laws permitting
bus rides for private school
pupils.
On May IS the court deelin-
ed TO rule on the constitution
ality of using public funds 10
pay tuition of students in
church schools. The Vernon
Supreme Court had struck
down the practice on January
3 in a case which originated
in South Burlington, VI. The
high court made no comment
in refusing TO review this de-
cision, which both sides in
the case had asked il TO con-
slider.
The court stirred up a hor-
nets nest in the entertain
ment and communications
media when. on January %,
it upheld prior censorship Of
motion pictures.
THE COURT HELD that
Chicago was acting within IFS
rights when ii denied a Ii
cense for exhibition to the
film Don Juan" whose dis
tributors refused to submit it
to the city's movie review
board.
Five justices answered I'VE
cannot agree to the Times
Film Corporations argu.
ments against prior censor.
ship Of films. But four dis.
scented, seeing in the majority
ruling a threat 10 all forms OF
communication.
The court split sharply
again on May 20 when II ruled