Judge Jones speaks


In a brief interview [Link broken] with the Philadelphia Inquirer (February 26, 2006), Judge John E. Jones III, who presided over the trial in Kitzmiller v. Dover, discussed the outcome of the case. A few highlights:

  • The controversial part of the ruling was whether intelligent design is in fact science. Lost in the post-decision debate was that both sides, plaintiffs and defense, asked me to rule on that issue.
  • I wanted [the opinion] to stand as a primer so that folks on both sides of the issue could read it, understand the way the debate is framed, see the testimony in support and against the various positions ... and what is heartening to me is that it's now evident that it's being used in that way ...
  • To my mind ... it would be a dreadful waste of judicial resources, legal resources, taxpayer money ... to replicate this trial someplace else. That's not to say it won't be, but I suspect it may not be ...
The interview was conducted on February 14, 2006, before Jones delivered a talk at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia's new Mt. Airy School of Religion, the Inquirer noted.