Sentence:  "In 1961, there was a case "Torcaso v. Watkins", in which a public <WSD>notary</WSD> in Maryland refused to take the oath, “so help me God,” and the court said he wasn't required to acknowledge God [although] the Maryland law said you were." 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A lay notary public, who serves as an impartial witness to the signing of important documents, but who is "not" authorised to practise law.