WASHINGTON "” The Supreme Court's most-watched case of the year will be argued March 24, when a California father tries to convince the justices that the regular morning public school salute to the American flag is unconstitutional because of the reference to God.
Justices scheduled the one-hour argument on Monday, and also agreed to accept written arguments from other people and groups, including the mother of the girl in the case.
Michael Newdow (search), a doctor and lawyer, will argue the case himself, facing off with attorneys from a California school and possibly the Bush administration. The atheist from Sacramento, Calif., filed the case on behalf of his 9-year-old daughter.
The case is being heard without one of the court's most conservative members, Justice Antonin Scalia (search), who recused himself after making public comments about the case. Scalia did not take part in the decision Monday to allow the mother, Sandra Banning, to file arguments opposing Newdow.
Banning, represented by Washington lawyer Kenneth Starr (search), maintains that her daughter does not mind saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
"It is not only appropriate but important for the court to hear from both parents, especially since Sandra Banning approves entirely of the Pledge of Allegiance as a patriotic exercise at her daughter's school," Starr said Monday.
Dennis Hutchinson, a Supreme Court expert at the University of Chicago Law School, said the case brings drama to the high court.
"This symbolically is a big deal. Everybody understands it," he said.
The case is Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, 02-1624.
Court to Hear Pledge Case on March 24
