New judge to hear Creation Museum case

Delaying tactic forces new judge to hear Creation Museum case

on October 15, 1999

After an October 15 trial postponement, the hearing on the lawsuit against Answers in Genesis and the Boone County Fiscal Court will now be held February 4, 2000.

(Florence, Kentucky)-After an October 15 trial postponement, the hearing on the lawsuit against Answers in Genesis and the Boone County Fiscal Court-over the court's approval of AiG's rezoning request on land for a Creation Museum-will now be held February 4, 2000.

The forces opposing AiG's rezoning had the former judge remove himself from the case for alleged potential conflict of interest on his part. (The judge once owned a parcel of land that AiG had a real estate agent examine about two years ago.) This obvious delaying tactic forced the assignment of a new circuit court judge, Hon. Douglas M. Stephens, to hear the case.

The county commissioners (i.e., the Fiscal Court) of Boone County had voted 3-1 on May 6 to approve AiG's rezoning application on 47 acres of land fronting I-275 and west of the Cincinnati airport (in Boone County, Kentucky). The lawsuit-naming AiG and the Fiscal Court as defendants-was filed by a family residing near the site and, surprisingly, by a couple who live over two miles away who have formed an unincorporated association to fight AiG.

AiG, which is to build a 95,000-sq.-ft. facility-with the museum and associated rooms making up about half of the building-will leave most of the 47 acres in its current park-like setting. It would be the home to a museum that would present a walk-through history of the world from a Biblical perspective. It would also house AiG's headquarters. Since 1996, secular humanists and other opponents have aggressively attempted to censor the project, including resorting to spreading false rumors.

Even with the lawsuit, AiG is very excited about the tremendous opportunities that the museum will afford, as well as opportunities to present evolution-free information concerning the history of the Earth and the universe. The stubborn opposition and blatant efforts to censor AiG only strengthens its resolve to see this legal battle to its successful conclusion. In the meantime, exhibit planning and architectural drawings are in the works.