Federal appeals court hears argument in 'million-dollar-bill' tract case

Federal appeals court hears argument in 'million-dollar-bill' tract case

A federal appeals court panel has heard arguments in a case involving a ministry accused of counterfeiting. Last year, agents with the U.S. Secret Service confiscated thousands of million-dollar-bill tracts from the Texas-based "Great News Network."

Although the gospel tracts from Great News Network are designed to look like a million-dollar bill, that denomination does not actually exist in U.S. currency. Also, each tract has a salvation message printed on the back along with a ministry website address and references to Bible verses.

Last week, attorneys with the American Family Association Center for Law & Policy presented arguments on behalf of the ministry before the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. AFA Law Center attorney Bruce Green says the judges asked specific questions.

"One of the judges said has anyone ever tried to cash a million-dollar bill, and what would happen if a bank actually did that -- surely it would be recognized as not being real," Green notes. "Our position has been that it's a gospel tract; it's clearly that," he says.

Besides, the pro-family attorney contends, it is impossible to counterfeit currency that does not exist. "We found in the process of the argument before the Fifth Circuit that the Secret Service took its position because they have what they call a zero tolerance on the use of anything that sort of favors or looks like money," he explains; however, he says the court was "unimpressed with that argument."

When the tracts were confiscated in June 2006, another attorney with the Law Center stated he was "dismayed at the lack of judgment exercised by the Secret Service in this matter" because the tracts "clearly do not violate any laws." Green says the three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit should issue a ruling in the next few months.