Greene drops nativity lawsuit

ATHENS — San Antonio Atheist Patrick Greene announced this morning he is withdrawing his lawsuit against Henderson County Judge Richard Sanders in connection with the nativity scene displayed on the courthouse lawn each December.

In the lawsuit, Greene said Sanders, “abused his position as judicial head of Henderson County, by giving official governmental permission to private citizens to display this Christian Nativity scene. This also violated Article 1, Section 6 of the Texas Constitution; ‘No human authority ought, in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of religion, and no preference shall ever be given by lay to any religious society or mode of worship.’”

Greene filed the lawsuit in late December. You can read more about the lawsuit here. You can read more about Greene’s involvement in Henderson County and the nativity controversy here.

Greene said he was dropping the lawsuit “because something far more important has come up.”

“I discovered a woman who is in prison who got there without due process, and I am going to try to get her out,” he said.

The woman is Meagan Adams, who was one of three teenagers to be convicted in 2003 for murdering Adams’ grandmother and guardian. Adams was 16 at the time.

Adams admits to being involved in the crime, but writes, “I do take responsibility for my part in this case, but I feel my sentence was extreme. I was a child and since then I have grown and realized so much. I have so many goals. I have so much that I want to do with my life, but I just need someone who will take a chance on me.”

Greene has decided to take that chance.

Henderson County Attorney Clint Davis said the county was thankful to have the lawsuit behind them.

“We’re thankful for whatever reason that Mr. Greene decided to drop his lawsuit,” he said.