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"                      <p class=\"imgtitle\">Bullock</p>           Monks from the St. Joseph Abbey of Covington, La. argued for their right to build and sell custom caskets without a state license before a federal judge in the Eastern District Federal Court for Louisiana.<br /><br />The Institute for Justice in Virginia filed the lawsuit in August 2010, claiming the state's licensing laws are \"arbitrary, excessive, and anachronistic.\"<br /><br />On Monday, U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval oversaw a three-hour bench trial in which attorneys for the monks argued that state requirements for the construction and sale of coffins are unconstitutional.<br /><br />Duval did not immediately issue a judgment. Plaintiff and defense counsel were instructed that briefs supporting their arguments are to be issued no later than June 24, followed by responses no later than July 1.<br /><br />The monks sell their custom caskets for around $2,000 apiece and use the finances directly to help the monastery.<br /><br />The lawsuit is a reply to a cease-and-desist letter the monks received from the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors. <br /><br />St. Joseph Abbey responded by filing an injunction against the board.<br /><br />The monks claim the licensing procedure violates their \"right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.\"<br /><br />The defendants filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit Dec. 6, 2010 claiming the plaintiffs failed to state a claim in which relief could be granted.<br /><br />Duval issued his ruling in favor of the monks on March 8.<br /><br />\"The Court sees no basis to create a per se rule of law that economic protectionism is a legitimate state interest,\" Duval wrote.<br /><br />Institute for Justice attorneys Scott Bullock, William Mellor and Jeff Rowes; and New Orleans attorney F. Evans Schmidt are representing St. Joseph Abbey.<br /><br />Metairie attorneys Preston Hayes and Michael Rasch are representing the Embalmers and Funeral Directors. <br /><br />Louisiana State Attorneys Charles Belsom Jr. and Uma Subramanian are representing the State of Louisiana.<br /><br /><em>Federal Case 2:10-cv-02717</em><br /><br />"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://louisianarecord.com/stories/510581118-monks-argue-for-right-to-build-caskets-outside-of-state-regulations>