9th Circuit rejects Newdow challenge to “In God We Trust”

Newdow v. Lefevre, No. 06-16344 (9th Cir. March 11, 2010)

This case calls upon us to decide whether the national motto of the United States, ‘In God We Trust,’ and its inscription on the Nation’s coins and currency, violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (“RFRA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000bb et seq, or both. We hold our decision in Aronow v. United States, 432 F.2d 242 (9th Cir. 1970), forecloses both claims. Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s order dismissing this case under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.