Breaking! @Liberty_Ctr’s first freedom of religion under COVID lawsuit just granted certiorari by SCOTUS, & vacating the district court judgment and ordering the 9th Circuit to take further action consistent with Friday’s late night ruling in South Bay (another case we’re in)./ 
SCOTUS recognizing that back in April, when we first challenged CA’s anti-faith COVID rules (prayer allowed by streaming video only), the district court got it wrong. On remand, we seek a ruling that puts the temples of God on at least equal footing as the temples of commerce.
3/ In April 2020, when we filed this, ahead of all other civil rights organizations who later joined battle, one of the government attorneys at the TRO hearing likened going to church to attending a concert even such as Coachella...
4/ Citizens were being threatened with ticketing & arrest for even driving into the parking lot of a church to roll down the windows to hear the pastor preach. We were mocked for insisting that the 115-year-old Jacobson standard used by countless courts to deny religious freedom,
5/ was bogus. The 9th Circuit refused to grant an injunction even in the wake of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn case. Finally today we hope we are on the path to a proper ruling in the district court, applying the current standard for religious liberty even in a pandemic.
6/It's hard &l onely to fight for faith in a state where actual criminals are routinely set free while worshipers &pastors are threatened with criminal penalties for 1st-Amendment-protected activities. I'm so proud of the team @Liberty_Ctr @mark_trammell & colleague @MarkMeuser!
If you are so inclined, please support the important First Amendment/liberty work we do in multiple jurisdictions throughout the United States through pro bono & nonprofit fee litigation at libertycenter.org/donate/ -- thank you!
Supreme Court First Amendment jock @RonColeman @dhillonlaw was instrumental in this Supreme Court victory as well. I'm so blessed in every case we handle at my law firm and at @Liberty_Ctr to be surrounded wall to wall by outstanding colleagues who love the law & love liberty!
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