Judge sides with state in battle over religious license plate
August 15, 2007

RUTLAND, Vt. --A man who wants a biblical reference on his vanity license plate has been dealt another setback in his 2 1/2-year legal fight with the state of Vermont, with a judge siding with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

"The DMV has the right to prohibit religious messages on license plates provided it does not discriminate based on the particular message or viewpoint," U.S. Magistrate Jerome J. Niedermeier wrote in his 23-page report filed in U.S. District Court in Burlington.

Byrne, of West Rutland, wants a license plate that reads "JN36TN," shorthand for John 3:16, a Bible passage that reads: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." the rest