ACLU files lawsuit against LA County over restoring religious cross to county seal

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The County of Los Angeles' official seal included a tiny cross for nearly half a century, until it was changed in 2004.

The ACLU is suing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors over its decision to put a religious cross back in the official county seal for violation of the First Amendment.

The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in January to restore the symbol in the county emblem. Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Don Knabe proposed the motion. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas also voted in favor of restoring the cross.

The county seal was redesigned in 2004, with the addition of the San Gabriel Mission. At the time, the mission was not topped with a cross because the building was being earthquake retrofitted. A cross was restored four years ago. Consequently, Supervisors Antonovich and Knabe argue that the seal should also be updated for historical and architectural accuracy.

Guest:

Mark Rosenbaum, Chief Counsel at the ACLU of Southern California