Wallace v. Jaffree (1983) – Court affirmed that silent prayer was permissible in
Mobile County public schools. Decision was reversed by
Eleventh Circuit and
U.S. Supreme Court, both ruling that it violated the
Establishment Clause of the
First Amendment.
Smith v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County (1987) – Court rules that textbooks promoting
secular humanism were unconstitutional, running contrary to the
Establishment Clause of the
First Amendment. Decision was reversed by Eleventh Circuit, which held that secular humanism was not a violation of the Establishment Clause as it is not a system of belief constituting a "religion".
Searcy v. Strange (2015) – District Judge Callie V. S. "Ginny" Granade ruled that Alabama's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, violating the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, on January 23. Days later, she issued an order clarifying her ruling, saying that all Alabama probate judges, who issue marriage licenses, must comply with the order. She stayed her order for two weeks to allow state defendants time to seek a stay from a higher court. On February 3, the Eleventh Circuit denied the stay, after denying a stay in a similar case out of Florida months before. On February 9, as the order was set to take effect, the U.S. Supreme Court also denied the stay. == U.S. Attorneys ==