Remember this? SC wanted to offer custom plates with crosses on them, but in order to minimize the Establishment Clause risk, they figured they should eliminate the normal practice of letting some group profit by sponsoring the plates. Solution: The Christian plates ended up being nine-tenths cheaper than the others, thereby giving them special treatment in the form of a competitive advantage.

Anyway, no dice. Smells like … victory:

A federal judge says South Carolina must stop marketing and making licenses plates that feature the image of a cross and the words “I Believe.”…

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie said the case needs to be heard in court. In the meantime, the judge said the Department of Motor Vehicles cannot take any more orders for the plates…

Currie’s ruling said specifically that the DMV would have to remove any advertising for the plate on its website.

And in fact, the department changed its web page late Thursday afternoon.

Here’s the judge’s order. All you really need to read is the paragraph starting at the bottom of page 3. Exit question: More or less irritating than the atheist display in the Washington state capitol?