Ten Commandments Plaque Removed from Hibbing Courthouse

HIBBING (AP) -- A bronze plaque with the Ten Commandments is no longer on view at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Hibbing.

Property management removed the plaque at the direction of county administration on Monday.

St. Louis County communications manager Dana Kazel says that officials consulted with the county attorney's office, which recommended removing the Ten Commandments based on past court decisions.

County Administrator Kevin Gray says the northeastern Minnesota county received
a letter last month from the Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, questioning the plaque.

Gray says "the law and norms have developed considerably'' since the plaque was installed decades ago.

The plaque reading "God's Laws'' had hung below the county seal and the words "district court'' since the courthouse opened in 1958.