David L. Hudson, Jr.: Four lack standing to challenge federal hate-crimes law

  Three Christian ministers and an anti-homosexuality advocate lacked standing to challenge the constitutionality of a federal hate-crimes law, a federal appeals court has ruled.

  Gary Glenn, who heads the American Family Association of Michigan, and Michigan pastors Levon Yuille, Rene B. Ouellette and James Combs contended that the 2009 federal law violated the First Amendment because it could subject them to prosecution for their religious-based speech against homosexuality.