Fri May 20, 2022 – 1:39 pm EDTFri May 20, 2022 – 1:43 pm EDT
LOUISIANA (LifeSiteNews) – Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards violated Pastor Tony Spell’s freedom of religion by instituting COVID-19 restrictions that forbade him from holding in-person church services, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled May 13.
The Shreveport Times reports that Spell defied Edwards’ March 2020 limitation of in-person gatherings to ten people, for which he was subjected to criminal charges. While lower courts ruled against Spell, the state’s highest court determined that “certain provisions of two executive orders, as applied to defendant, violate his fundamental right to exercise religion, do not survive strict scrutiny, and are thus unconstitutional.”
Of particular significance to the judge’s decision were the exemptions for certain secular activities. Justice William Crain wrote there was no evidence that “gatherings in secular venues like office buildings and airports created less risk of virus transmission than such interactions at gatherings in a church building.” In his dissent, Chief Justice John Weimer claimed churches could have simply held outdoor or online services.
“Once again, this governor’s overreach has been defeated in court,” said Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry. “While it is unfortunate
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