(Headline USA) A California church that stood up for religious freedom and its congregation’s rights during the COVID-19 pandemic by holding religious services won’t have to pay about $200,000 in fines, a state appeals court ruled.
Calvary Chapel San Jose and its pastors were held in contempt of court and fined in 2020 and 2021 for violating state and county limits on indoor public gatherings, part of the state’s tyrannical crackdown during the pandemic that many medical authorities now concede had little impact except for creating unnecessary angst and suffering.
But on Monday, California’s 6th District Court of Appeal reversed those lower court decisions, citing a May 2020 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2021 that a ban by Gov. Gavin Newsom on indoor worship services in counties where COVID-19 was surging violated freedom of religion.
The decision came less than a year after the high court previously ruled the ban was justified on health and safety grounds.
The appellate court noted that the restrictions on indoor gatherings also applied to secular gatherings but were stricter for worship services than for secular activities such as going to grocery stores.
The ruling “is a great win for the sake of liberty and displays the justification for the courage shown by this church” and its pastors, Robert Tyler, a lawyer for the church, told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Despite the ruling, Santa Clara County said it will continue to seek $2.3 million in penalties against the church for violating other COVID-19 rules that weren’t affected by the decision, such as requiring largely useless face masks during services in late 2020.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
