Consider the following state statute: Handling snakes so as…
Consider the following state statute: Handling snakes so as to endanger life—Penalty. It shall be unlawful for any person, or persons, to display, exhibit, handle, or use any poisonous or dangerous snake or reptile in such a manner as to endanger the life or health of any person; provided, however, that this provision shall not apply to persons engaged in the scientific or zoological study or display of such snakes or reptiles and those persons under their direct supervision. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than one hundred and fifty dollars ($150), or by confinement in jail not exceeding six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. Jeff Brown is a member of a fundamentalist Christian sect that believes the Bible commands the faithful to take up serpents and drink poison. He argues that the statute violates the Free Exercise Clause. If he files a motion for a declaratory judgment that the statute is unconstitutional, a judge is likely to: