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Derek Lowe
Derek Lowe, an Arkansan by birth, got his BA from Hendrix College and his PhD in organic chemistry from Duke before spending time in Germany on a Humboldt Fellowship on his post-doc. He's worked for several major pharmaceutical companies since 1989 on drug discovery projects against schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, diabetes, osteoporosis and other diseases. To contact Derek email him directly: derekb.lowe@gmail.com Twitter: Dereklowe

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In the Pipeline: Don't miss Derek Lowe's excellent commentary on drug discovery and the pharma industry in general at In the Pipeline

In the Pipeline

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December 20, 2005

The Dover Decision Comes Down

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Posted by Derek

The last time I touched on Intelligent Design around here, things were pretty lively, and I promised not to return to the topic until the Kitzmiller decision came down. Well, here it is (PDF).

Good luck getting that link to load today, though. I think that this one from the York Dispatch is working better. From what I've read so far, Judge Jones has completely hammered the ID case flat:

". . .The Board contacted no scientists or scientific organizations. The Board failed to consider the views of the District's school teachers. The Board relied solely on legal advice from two organizations with demonstrably religious, cultural, and legal missions, the Discovery Institute and TMLC. Moreover, Defendants' asserted secular purpose of improving science education is belied by the fact that most if not all of the Board members who voted in favor of the biology curriculum change conceded that they still do not know, nor have they ever known, precisely what ID is. To assert a secular purpose against this backdrop is ludicrous. . .Defendants have unceasingly attempted in vain to distance themselves from their own actions and statements, which culminated in repetitious, untruthful testimony. . .

. . .Those who disagree with our holding will likely mark it as the product of an activist judge. If so, they will have erred as this is manifestly not an activity Court. Rather this case came to us as the result of the activism of an ill-informed faction on a school board, aided by a national public interest law firm eager to find a constitutional test case on ID, who in combination drove the Board to adopt an imprudent and ultimately unconstitutional policy. The breathtaking inanity of the Board's decision is evident when considered against the factual backdrop which has now been fully revealed through this trial. The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom, with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources. . ."

Comments (7) + TrackBacks (0) | Category: Current Events | Intelligent Design


COMMENTS

1. ian on December 20, 2005 5:37 PM writes...

Hi, I found this page through Google News. I've managed to scan the entire decision on-line from the court website with no difficulty. I am distant from the emotion of the case (I am in Scotland) but it looks to me on a first read through that not only has the judge "hammered the ID case flat", he has also "hammered" the motives and truthfulness under oath of several members of the school board.

An interesting and well argued decision I think.

Permalink to Comment

2. DRogers on December 20, 2005 5:59 PM writes...

Ian,

You mean *ex*-members of the school board. The local populace, in its wisdom, decided not to renew their terms of service.

Permalink to Comment

3. truth machine on December 20, 2005 7:13 PM writes...

The judge, a GWB, appointee, appears to have little tolerance for hypocrites lying for Jesus: "It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy."

Permalink to Comment

4. Joel Sax on December 20, 2005 7:38 PM writes...

Damn! He told 'em!

Permalink to Comment

5. Mein on December 20, 2005 10:00 PM writes...

Maybe this decision will help to turn the culture war tide back toward the center...

Permalink to Comment

6. Phil-Z on December 21, 2005 10:10 AM writes...

While I'm happy to see the ID folks get hammered for willful spread of ignorance, I'm puzzled by how this is a federal matter. I'm almost wholly ignorant of con-law so can someone point me to a discussion of how the stupid actions of a local school board violate the federal constitution?
Seems like a reach to me.

Permalink to Comment

7. toby on December 21, 2005 10:18 AM writes...

Phil,

My legal knowledge is limited, but isn't it the case that the constitution applies to laws at all levels? A state can't decide that women can't vote in state elections, a municipality can't raise your property taxes because you say bad things about the President, and a school board can't bring religious dogma into public schools.

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