A few days after Baltimore City announced a 17 percent drop in murders last year compared to 2007, Baltimore County reported last year was the least deadly in a decade.

The county recorded 28 homicides in 2008, down 22 percent from 2007, according to a press release. Eighteen of the 28 murders involved family members or acquaintances, and arrests have been made in all but four of the cases, the county said.

For comparison’s sake, and based on 2007 Census population figures, the city averaged 36.7 murders per 100,000 people while the county averaged 3.5 murders per 100,000 people.

County Executive Jim Smith said in a statement that the drop in murders was “gratifying.”

“These numbers are a real tribute to the leadership of Police Chief Jim Johnson, and the hard work of the men and women of the Baltimore County Police Department,” Smith said. “I also commend Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger and his staff for effectively prosecuting the cases that come before them.”
 
DANNY JACOBS, Legal Affairs Writer

Michael Newdow has found a new target: President-elect Barack Obama’s upcoming presidential oath of office.

Newdow, along with 29 individuals and 11 atheist groups, has filed suit against Chief Justice John Roberts, the Presidential Inaugural Committee and others, claiming the phrase “so help me God” in the upcoming inaugural ceremony violates the Establishment, Free Exercise and Due Process clauses of the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

In 2000, Newdow filed a lawsuit arguing the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance constituted an endorsement of religion. While the 9th Circuit agreed, the Supreme Court ultimately overturned the decision on procedural grounds. Newdow later brought an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the prayer recited during George W. Bush’s inaugural ceremony in 2001.

What do you think?  Does the use of the phrase violate principles of separation of church and state or does it have “legitimate secular purposes of solemnizing public occasions?”
 
CHRISTINA DORAN, Assistant Legal Editor