ET, Sat., June. 28, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Texas Supreme Court on Friday threw out a jury award over injuries a 17-year-old girl suffered in an exorcism conducted by members of her old church, ruling that the case unconstitutionally entangled the court in religious matters.

In a 6-3 decision, the justices found that a lower court erred when it said the Pleasant Glade Assembly of God's First Amendment rights regarding freedom of religion did not prevent the church from being held liable for mental distress triggered by a "hyper-spiritualistic environment."

Laura Schubert testified in 2002 that she was cut and bruised and later experienced hallucinations after the church members' actions in 1996, when she was 17. Schubert said she was pinned to the floor for hours and received carpet burns during the exorcism, the Austin American-Statesman reported. She also said the incident led her to mutilate herself and attempt suicide. She eventually sought psychiatric help.

But the church's attorneys had told jurors that her psychological problems were caused by traumatic events she witnessed with her missionary parents in Africa. The church contended she "freaked out" about following her father's life as a missionary and was acting out to gain attention.

Abuse and false imprisonment?
The 2002 trial of the case never touched on the religious aspects, and a Tarrant County jury found the Colleyville church and its members liable for abusing and falsely imprisoning the girl. The jury awarded her $300,000, though the 2nd Court of Appeals in Fort Worth later reduced the verdict to $188,000.

Justice David Medina wrote that finding the church liable "would have an unconstitutional 'chilling effect' by compelling the church to abandon core principles of its religious beliefs."

But Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson, in a dissenting opinion, stated that the "sweeping immunity" is inconsistent with U.S. Supreme Court precedent and extends far beyond the Constitution's protections for religious conduct.

'Intentional abuse'
"The First Amendment guards religious liberty; it does not sanction intentional abuse in religion's name," Jefferson wrote.

After the 2002 verdict, Pleasant Glade merged with another congregation in Colleyville, a Fort Worth suburb.

A message left for the church's attorney Friday evening was not immediately returned, and calls to two numbers listed in Schubert's name went unanswered.

Ive seen exorcism in church

So how did you like the exorcism show?

The state of Texas should be bombed! all bunch of bad things go on their!

I wouldn't live there. It is a land of outlaws, drug smugglers, arms dealers, good ol boys, etc. Hell, George Bush's come from there.

JB

how can you say that just because there are crazies in my state, they are all over the place. I was born, raised, and will die in Texas.

ur just as pathetic as Bush! How come every yr we hear religious cults goin around Texas?

Well isn't that confusing - after all, this exactly what homosexuals are trying to get the FEDERAL Supreme Court to do by declaring DOMA and the definition of marriage unconstitutional by way of getting the government involved in relgion.

But the US Supreme Court apparently does not want to take on this challenge and so they allowed the issue to be place on the states.

Well, at least the Texas Supreme Court has ruled IN FAVOR of not getting involved with religious matters, I guess that makes the STATE RIPE for a law declaring no state opposition to same-sex marriage and all the benefits the state offers in that area.

MMMMM - I like this, Texas always seems to back themselves into a corner, I think this one is a doosey.

I am not saying that there are not nice citizens living there. I feel sorry for them actually. I don't like the government in Texas or in Kansas. It is closer to the wild wild west, people have to take the law into their own hands in many cases.

JB

Perhaps you should get started on that one. LOL The texans are gonna love it. __NOT

JB - I am on it girl, already got the emails flying. NEXT step, letter to HRC and more letters to all the US Supreme Court Justices AND a nice think-you to the TEXAS STATE supreme court judges is in order - as they have certainly set precident in this area.

Wouldn't it just be AWSOME if Texas followed California in this matter.

and some people have the balls to say that christians are the only judgmental people. how somebody can judge an entire population for the wrongdoings of a few.

Isnt the United States of America the land of the free? That we can express n believe in watever we wat? Can we just people as they are? I accept people but dont like certain things goin around in this world! Ca we all get along n make this world a better place.

They are responsible for their own government. They either voted it in or did not vote at all. Yep its their fault if they are a lawless society. Who else you gonna blame?

JB

r u sure u r not a christian?
u sound sooooooo like a christian.

i was wondering were everyone else who hates texas to share where they are from, so i may tr and nit pick all the flaws of that state. I not mad but this is ridclous to sit up here and dog on one state, when others have just as many flaws. you sit here and say it should be like we are and my state is soo much more intelligent and would have handle so0 much better. How do you know they would have, can you have cartiasian certainity in telling me that any of ya'll states would have handled it differently, Texas rocks and i fly the right up there next to the american flag same height, why cause we can.

I am from Colorado, so bash away. It has plenty of flaws. I live here because of the weather mostly.

JB

Yes I am sure.

Doing the heathen dance:

so why dog one chioce to like a state when your state has flaws. do not get me wrong i like colrado i think it is beautiful, i have been there it is very nice. But Texas is where i live asnd understand that i know it has its problems, but we like it down here. Good people, fun, and normal living, we just have a lot of pride of where we come from, and yes people have a right to say what they want but when it comes to insulting someones home then i will stand up and say something. I have too much pride to stand and let Texas name to be dragged through the mud, gernerations have lived since my great grandparents coing off the boat from ireland. For they made thier living in the oil fields driving mule in east Texas. So i do get a little preturped for my family has had Texas pride, we stick to our own, lopve our family, and welcome people. Yeah we have our crazies but we make up for by good babreque and friendly faces.