Charles LiMandri

Charles LiMandri (born 1955) is an American lawyer. In a case that made national headlines, he litigated against the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in the defense of the Mount Soledad Cross in San Diego. The battle over the religious symbol, which lasted more than 25 years, is one of the longest in the history on the United States. Limandri has a private law practice, and in 2002 he founded the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund to pay for his pro bono work on behalf of religious freedom.

Early life and education LiMandri was born in San Diego, California, in 1955.

His first venture into religious freedom casework came in 2003 when he filed an amicus brief in a case to keep "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. In the lawsuit, Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, the United States Supreme Court ruled against Newdow.

The effort by the ACLU to remove the Mount Soledad Cross began in 1998. Erected in 1954, the tall mountaintop cross is a familiar San Diego landmark. LiMandri's involvement began in 2004. For the next twelve years the case worked its way through the state and federal judiciaries until ownership by a private organization was established in 2016 ending the claim of unconstitutionality.

At the 2009 Miss USA pageant, then-Miss California Carrie Prejean was asked about same-sex marriage. Her reply, "I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman", caused controversy. When the Miss California USA Pageant fired Prejean on an unrelated violation of her contract, LiMandri filed a lawsuit on her behalf; the pageant then filled a counter-suit. After a homemade sex video depicting Prejean surfaced, both parties agreed to an undisclosed settlement.

Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund

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salign=right We're trying to preserve a Judeo-Christian culture which permeates society. There's no financial incentive. But there’s a big incentive to better society for future generations. — Charles LiMandri on defending religious freedom FCDF's mission is to provide "pro bono legal services and spearheads educational initiatives on issues related to religious freedom, bioethics, and family values." FCDF is an allied firm with Alliance Defending Freedom, the Christian legal group.

In 2017 two women entered Cathy Miller's cakeshop, Tastries Bakery, and requested a wedding cake for their same-sex wedding. Miller refused to create the custom cake due to her deeply held religious beliefs and the state sought a court order to force her to bake the cake. The case is similar to one currently before the Supreme Court Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. On February 5, 2018, a judge of the Superior Court of California agreed with LiMandri's Free Speech argument and issued a preliminary ruling in favor of Miller to which LiMandri said was a "significant victory for faith and freedom."

Personal life LiMandri met his wife, Barbara, when she was working as a paralegal. The couple have five children. LiMandri is a devout Catholic.