Speaking of Jesus in the Public Square

This year you empowered our Justice Center lawyers to fight for life, family values, religious freedom, and good governance, in the biggest cases in the highest courts of the land.  From Prof. Wagner and our precious ministry team, THANK YOU!!!

Legislative Tracking in 2020

In 2020 you made it possible for our Justice Center to track every piece of state and federal legislation that impacts Christian people. Whether defending the sanctity of life, or impacting family values and religious freedom, it was our privilege to provide legislative updates to the Body of Christ.

Legal Battles for Truth & Justice in 2020

In 2020 our Justice Center defended Truth and protected liberty from City Hall to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Prof. Wagner and our legal team at the Great Lakes Justice Center participated, on behalf of Christian people, in various cases before the Supreme Courts of Michigan and the United States.

Fighting for Electoral Integrity and the Constitutional Right to a Free and Fair Election

In various cases the Justice Center fought for the Constitutional Right to a free and fair electoral process. When many citizens from various political parties and diverse ethnicities produced substantial evidence of massive voter fraud, and illegal irregularities in the electoral process, we fought in various cases all the way to the Supreme Court. Our main purpose sought to restore integrity in the electoral process. Along the way we also fought to vindicate the constitutional right to a free and fair election for these citizens whose votes had been disenfranchised by the fraud. Responding to documented widespread fraud in the 2020 electoral process, we represented African American and other voters disenfranchised of their constitutional liberty.

Fighting for Unborn Children in SCOTUS

Our Justice Center currently represents the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Right to Life (MI), and a National Bioethics Center in the Supreme Court of the United States. In this case we argue that the State of Mississippi holds a profound governmental interest in protecting the inherent value of unborn children.

Fighting for Religious Freedom in Foster Care

This year our Justice Center challenged Philadelphia’s exclusion of a Christian organization from a foster care system. The city excluded this faith-based organization because of its religious tenets. 

Fighting for Religous Freedom of Pro-Lifers

This year we filed a Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of Christian business owners. In this case, the Court decides whether the government may force pro-life Christian employers to violate their religious conscience. (e.g., by requiring them to provide abortifacients insurance coverage to their employees). Our Justice Center supports the government’s recently enacted religious/ moral allowances.

Fighting to Overturn Roe v Wade

We also filed another brief in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to overturn Roe v Wade – the diabolical decision judicially creating the “right” to kill a person’s son or daughter in utero. In the alternative we asked the Court to uphold a pro-life law requiring abortion providers to hold local hospital privileges. In this case the Justice Center represented Right to Life.

Fighting for Religous Freedom of Business Owners

Our Justice Center also presented arguments to the Supreme Court that the US Court of Appeals improperly usurped power reserved to the Congress and President when it judicially amended Title VII to add transgender classifications.

Michigan Cases & Legal Matters

In 2020, the Justice Center served as the first line of protection of Constitutional liberty in Michigan. In 2020, our Justice Center responded to government authorities defying the Rule of Law and attacking
religious freedom. When the Governor issued a decree making it a crime for individuals to travel to or attend church worship, we sued in Federal Court. The Governor acquiesced making it legal for individuals to travel to and attend church. When the Governor issued executive edicts without constitutional or statutory authority, we led the charge in the courts to restore constitutional governance under the Rule of Law. 

When Michigan authorities defied the rule of law in other areas infringing on religious freedom, our Justice Center responded. Michigan law properly prohibits discrimination based on race, sex, and religion. The Michigan legislature repeatedly voted not to add special classifications used by authorities to infringe on religious conscience and expression (e.g., gender identity). The executive branch continues, with no legal authorization, to operate as if the legislature amended the law to allow for religious persecution.

• The Justice Center provided assistance to Christian citizens in Holland, Michigan fighting proposed city ordinance that creates special preferences for sexual orientation / gender identity while discriminating against Christian people. We also provided counsel and policy analysis used in the process.
• The Justice Center previously participated in hearings and legislative oversight of the AG and MCRC in connection with their misuse of power here.
• The Justice Center currently represents a Christian family businesses being investigated by the MCRC for exercising their sincerely held religious beliefs in violation of a law that does not even exist.
• Williamston School Board enacted politically charged sexuality policies. These policies substantially infringe on the free exercise of religious conscience and expression. The Justice Center represented parents and the community in a federal law suit fighting to protect religious freedom.
• Planet Fitness revoked the membership of a woman who complained about the presence of a man she encountered in the woman’s locker room. The Justice Center continues to assist in a lawsuit against this national corporation, battling all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court for the right to go to trial. With a victory in the Supreme Court we expect a trial soon.

When government leaders abuse power others follow in their footsteps.

A former pastor distributed fliers with a political message on a public sidewalk. Government officials arrested him when they disagreed with the message. The Justice Center assisted on this case where the former pastor first won a dismissal of the most serious felonies. The government proceeded to trial on the remaining criminal charges, even though we contended these charges had no support in the law. After trial the the Court instructed the jury inappropriately, virtually requiring it to return a guilty verdict, not based on what the law actually said, but on what the court said the law was. After a battle all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court, the Court completely exonerated the former pastor.

This year our Justice Center also “won” a case on behalf of a Christian businessman facing millions of dollars in fines for his exercise of religious conscience. His unwillingness to participate in abortions of his employees and government mandate collided. The Government admitted to violating our client’s freedom of religion and has agreed to pay attorney fees. Erin Mersino served as lead counsel.