Newdow v. United States Congress, et al, 1970-2005, bulk: 2000-2005
Scope and Contents
This series covers Alfred T. Goodwin's more than 40-year career as a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A small amount of material relates to instances where Goodwin sat on a Ninth Circuit Court panel by designation while still a U.S. District Court judge. The bulk of this series consists of case records, primarily in the form of individual case files. Other materials in the series include records relating to the case Newdow v. U.S. Congress, et al; general correspondence; administrative records; conference records; records relating to subordinate courts within the Ninth Circuit, including district-level cases that Goodwin heard; cases in other circuit courts that Goodwin was assigned to; and materials relating to courthouse facilities used by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Dates
- Creation: 1970-2005
- Creation: Majority of material found within 2000-2005
Creator
- From the Collection: Goodwin, Alfred T. (Alfred Theodore), 1923-2022 (Person)
- From the Collection: United States. Court of Appeals (9th Circuit) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Historical Note
In June 2002, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 in the case Newdow v. United States Congress, et al, that the inclusion of the phrase "one nation, under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitional because it violated the separation of church and state. Judge Alfred T. Goodwin wrote the majority opinion. The ruling drew immediate backlash, and the United States Senate halted a debate on a military bill in order to unanimously pass a resolution condemning it. In 2004, the United States Supreme Court reversed the decision on the grounds that the plaintiff, Michael Newdow, lacked standing to bring the suit.
Sources: Collection materials; "Judges Ban Pledge of Allegiance from Schools, Citing 'Under God,'" New York Times, June 27, 2002, page A1; "8 Justices Block Effort to Excise Phrase in Pledge," New York Times, June 15, 2004, page A1.
Extent
4.49 Cubic Feet (3 record cartons; 1 legal document case; 1 slim legal document case; 1 letter document case)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Spanish; Castilian
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org