Appeal court dismisses California church who flouted COVID regulations

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A California church that defied safety regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic by holding large religious services won’t have to pay about $200,000 in fines, a state appeals court ruled.

Calvary Chapel San Jose’s pastors were found guilty of contempt and sentenced to 2020 fines for violating county and state limits on indoor public gatherings. The rules were aimed at preventing the spread through close contract of the virus, which has caused more than 10 million confirmed cases and more than 93,500 deaths since the pandemic began in mid-2020, according to state public health figures.

But the 6th District Court of Appeal in California reversed these lower court rulings Monday. They cited a May 2020 decision by U.S. Supreme Court, February 2021 which prohibited Gov. Gavin Newsom on indoor worship services in counties where COVID-19 was surging violated freedom of religion.

The decision of a new conservative majority court was made less than one year after the court had previously ruled that the ban was justifiable on safety and health grounds.

The appellate court pointed out that indoor gathering restrictions also apply to secular gatherings, but they were more restrictive for worship services and less for other secular activities like going to grocery shops.

The ruling was “a huge win for liberty and shows the justification of the courage shown by the church”, Robert Tyler (a lawyer for 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 face masks during services in late 2020.

“Calvary didn’t dispute its many and grave violations at the peak of the pandemic, before vaccines were made available,” said a county statement. Calvary’s actions putting the safety and health of our community at stake will be held accountable.