Contact: Stephanie Lewis, 312-422-1333, stephanie@tcpr.net

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Sept. 21 /Christian Newswire/ -- Late Monday, a St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge ruled that attorneys from the Thomas More Society may depose a former official recently fired by the University of Notre Dame -- a key ruling for the defense in the case of the "ND88," the 88 pro-life demonstrators arrested at the University for protesting President Obama's receiving honors at the commencement ceremonies in 2009.

Chief Judge Michael Scopelitis ruled that William Kirk, former associate vice president for residential life at the University, may be deposed by the Thomas More Society's special counsel, Tom Dixon, about the decision to arrest and prosecute the pro-lifers. A motion by the prosecution to quash the deposition was overruled, and Chief Judge Scopelitis will pass on any objections arising during the deposition, as he stipulated that it must take place at the St. Joseph County Courthouse.

"This represents a major victory for the defense, and perhaps even a decisive turning point in this case," said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society.

At a hearing late last week, Dixon argued that the deposition should not be quashed, as Kirk's testimony would likely shed new light on why Notre Dame had treated the pro-life protesters differently than others. As recently as January 2010, gay rights activists had demonstrated on campus without an allegedly requisite written permit. In sharp contrast, the 88 pro-life demonstrators have been arrested, jailed, charged with trespass and prosecuted. The Thomas More Society has argued that the ND88 were not criminal trespassers but victims of "viewpoint discrimination," a violation of the First Amendment, which applied to Notre Dame security police as they exercised statutory arrest powers vested in them under Indiana state law.

Chief Judge Scopelitis will set a date for the deposition in the coming weeks. For more information and to follow all developments in the ND88 case, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.

About the Thomas More Society
Founded in 1997, the Thomas More Society is a national public interest law firm that exists to restore respect for life in law. Based in Chicago, the Thomas More Society defends the sanctity of human life, the family and religious liberty in courtrooms across the country. The Society is a nonprofit organization wholly supported by private donations. For more information or to support the work of Thomas More Society, please visit www.thomasmoresociety.org.