Lawyers clash over religious status of college police

Raleigh, USA - North Carolina's Supreme Court is considering whether a private college is too closely aligned with a religious denomination to be allowed to have its own police force.

The case involves a woman who was arrested by one of the school's police officers on a nearby street.

The woman, who was not a student, pleaded guilty to driving while impaired but later appealed on the grounds that Presbyterian-affiliated Davidson's police force violates separation of church and state.

An attorney for the state, which certifies police at religious and secular private colleges, argued that Davidson is independent of church control.

A lawyer for Davidson said the issue is campus safety, and the court's decision could have consequences for other religious-affiliated colleges with their own police.