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U.S. District Court
District of Maryland
Notice of Electronic Filing
The following transaction was received from Messitte, Peter entered on 7/11/2003 at 4:54 PM EDT and filed on 7/11/2003
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Case Name:
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Dixon v. Edwards, et al
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Case Number:
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8:01-cv-1838
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Filer:
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Document Number:
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48
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Docket Text:
PAPERLESS ORDER GRANTING [47] Motion to Dissolve Injunction Due to Changed Circumstances. Signed by Judge Peter J. Messitte on 7/11/03. (Messitte, Peter)
The following document(s) are associated with this transaction:
8:01-cv-1838 Notice will be electronically mailed to:
Michael L Martinez mmartinez@crowell.com
Charles H Nalls cnalls@canonlaw.org
David M Schnorrenberg dschnorrenberg@crowell.com
8:01-cv-1838 Notice will not be electronically mailed to:
Bridget E Calhoun
Crowell and Moring LLP
1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004-2595
Rufus W Peckham
Law Office
2501 Que St NW Ste B9
Washington, DC 20007-4303
Michael G Van Arsdall
Crowell and Moring LLP
1001 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004-2595
____________________________________________________________________________
Canon Law Institute
Washington, D.C.
(202) 466-2350
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2003
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Tonight, upon motion by counsel for the Defendants the
Rector and Vestry of Christ Church Accokeek, Maryland, the U.S. District
Court for the District of Maryland (Messitte, J.) entered an order
dissolving the injunction in the case of Dixon v. Edwards, et.
al.,8:01-cv-1838. The injunction had barred the Rev. Samuel Edwards
from "holding himself out" as a clergyman in the Episcopal Church, had
barred him from conducting services on or close to the property of
Christ Church Accokeek, had directed visitations to Christ Church by
then-Suffragan bishop Jane Dixon, and had permitted her to preside over
meetings of the Parish's ruling body, the Vestry, also a named
defendant.
The plaintiff did not oppose the motion, which was based upon changed
circumstances. These included the fact that Jane Dixon, the plaintiff,
was no longer ecclesiastic authority in the Episcopal Diocese of
Washington, a necessary condition for the injunction, and that
defendant, the Rev. Samuel Edwards, had left the Episcopal Church to
join the Anglican Province of Christ the King, a traditional Anglican
body.
Counsel for the Defendants, the Rev. Charles H. Nalls, CLI's Executive
Director, who had been handling the civil case as private counsel, noted
that, "we are satisfied that this particular matter has been put to
rest." He noted that, "in view of recent events in the Episcopal
Church, as well as in other denominations, this is by far not the last
of such cases we anticipate." Nalls went on to thank co-counsel Rufus
Peckham, assisting counsel Mark Jakubik of CLI (on briefs), as well as
John Hollister, advisory counsel, and Kenneth R. Matticks, who
represented the amici ECUSA bishops Rt. Rev. Jack Iker (Fort Worth) and
Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan (Pittsburgh), supporting Fr. Edwards and the
Vestry.
See article by Auburn Traycik, The Christian Challenge
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