Ten Commandments Monument on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol (behind the capitol building). Austin, Texas. Photograph by J. Williams. (Aug. 26, 2002).
ROCKWALL COUNTY, TX (May 14, 2025) – On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, the Rockwall County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a resolution to approve placing a monument commemorating the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Rockwall County Historic Courthouse. The motion, which was placed on the Commissioners Court Agenda by Precinct 3 Commissioner Lorne Liechty, was met with strong public support. Many Rockwall County residents spoke to the Commissioners Court in favor of placing the monument on the Courthouse grounds citing the importance of the Ten Commandments as a foundational document for our nation’s legal system.
The monument will be similar to the Ten Commandments monument that is located on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol, which was approved by the United States Supreme Court in the 2005 case of Van Orden v. Perry. The monument will be constructed with funds provided by private citizens and entities, and no tax dollars will be used to purchase the monument. The final design and site selection for the monument will be approved by Commissioners Liechty and Bobby Gallana (Precinct 1), in consultation with the Rockwall County Historical Commission. The timing of the installation of the monument will be decided at a later date.
The full text of the Resolution approving the Monument reads as follows:
WHEREAS, the Ten Commandments, found in the Bible and the Hebrew Torah at Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21, are an important component of the moral and historical foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America, the State of Texas and of Rockwall County;
WHEREAS, the courts of the United States of America and of various states have frequently cited the Ten Commandments in published decisions;
WHEREAS, numerous public buildings and public places in the United States, including the Texas State Capitol Grounds, display the Ten Commandments;
WHEREAS, the Ten Commandments represent a philosophy of government held by many of the founders of this nation and by many Texans, Rockwall County residents and other Americans today – that God has ordained civil governments and has endowed people with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;
WHEREAS, in order that they may understand and appreciate the basic principles of the American system of government, the people of the United States of America, of the State of Texas and of Rockwall County need to identify the Ten Commandments, one of many sources, as influencing the development of what has become modern law;
WHEREAS, the placing of a monument to the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Rockwall County Historic Courthouse would help the people of the United States, of the State of Texas and of Rockwall County to know that the Ten Commandments are one of the moral and historical foundations of the law; and
WHEREAS. the grounds of the Rockwall County Historic Courthouse contain and in the future may contain other monuments and items of historical significance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Rockwall County Commissioners Court hereby approves (1) the acceptance of donations for the construction of a Ten Commandments Monument and/or the approval of acceptance of donations of a Ten Commandments Monument, (2) the acceptance of donations of funds and labor for monument construction and implementation expenses, and (3) the arrangement for and placement on the grounds of the Rockwall County Historic Courthouse of a monument commemorating the Ten Commandments.
FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the monument commemorating the Ten Commandments shall contain the following text, which was displayed on the monument declared constitutional by the United States Supreme Court in Van Orden v Perry, 545 U.S. 677 (2005)
I AM the LORD thy God,
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s house, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the Commissioners Court designates Commissioners Lorne Liechty and Bobby Gallana (the “Court Delegates”) to arrange for the monument and related accoutrements to be designed, constructed, and placed on the grounds of the Rockwall County Historic Courthouse by private persons or entities at no expense to Rockwall County.
FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the Court Delegates shall approve the design and site selection for the monument described herein, and to arrange for a suitable time for the placement of the monument;
FURTHER, RESOLVED, that before approving the design and site selection for the monument described herein, the Court Delegates shall consult with the Rockwall County Historical Commission and obtain the commission’s views on design and site selection.
FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the placement of the monument under this Resolution shall not be construed to mean that Rockwall County or the Commissioners Court of Rockwall County favors, endorses or establishes any religion.
By Lorne Liechty, Precinct 3 Commissioner, Rockwall County, for publication in Blue Ribbon News.
Photo: Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=506590
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