The Supreme Court Monday turned away an impassioned, defiant appeal by Alabama Gov. Fob James, slowing his crusade for student-led prayers in his state's public schools.

The justices, without comment, rejected James' attack against a federal judge's order that limited religious practices in DeKalb County, Ala., schools - an order James simultaneously is challenging in a federal appeals court.James' school-prayer efforts have played a big part in his re-election race. His opponent in the June 30 Republican primary runoff election, Winton Blount, has accused James of ignoring Alabama's economic woes and spending too much time fighting losing battles over religion.

James was forced into a runoff after receiving 48 percent of the vote in the GOP primary. Blount received 41 percent, and former Gov. Guy Hunt drew 8 percent of the vote. Hunt later endorsed Blount.

U.S. District Judge Ira DeMent last year struck down an Alabama law that would have allowed "nonsectarian, non-proselytizing, student-initiated, voluntary prayers" at all school-related events. He said the law would be coercive and lead to "excessive entanglement" between religion and government.

The judge said his barring certain religious activities - including teacher-led devotionals, vocal prayers at assemblies and Bible giveaways during school hours - "does nothing to limit individual exercise of personal religious beliefs." For example, he said, students in religious clubs can meet and worship whenever and wherever other clubs are allowed. And, of course, students' unobtrusive silent prayer is allowed at any time.

View Comments

Other Supreme Court action Monday:

- Upheld a broad interpretation of a federal ban on firearm possession by convicted felons. The court ruled 6-3 that a Massachusetts man can be sentenced under the federal law even though the state had restored his right to have the shotguns and rifles he possessed. Because the state barred him from having a handgun in most cases, the broader federal ban on felons possessing any type of firearm applied to him, the justices said.

- Struck down a fine as unconstitutional. It ruled 5-4 that the federal government cannot always seize and keep all the money people try to take outside the United States without filing the proper reports. Rebuffing Clinton administration arguments, the court said a federal law that always subjects such money to forfeiture violates the Constitution's ban on excessive fines.

- Ruled that federal courts have the authority to handle lawsuits against state agencies or officials even when some of the claims have to be dismissed because of a state's legal immunity. Ruling unanimously in a case involving a fired Wisconsin prison guard, the justices said a federal court can dismiss some claims and hear the rest of the case instead of having to send the entire case to state court.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.