Judge Orders California Church to Pay $1.2 Million Fine for Breaking COVID-19 Rules
A Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge has ordered Calvary Chapel San Jose to pay a $1.2 million fine for repeatedly defying COVID-19 lockdown regulations.
Judge Evette D. Pennypacker ruled on Thursday that the church broke public health regulations during the height of the pandemic by remaining open and refusing to enforce masking or social distancing policies.
“The church and its pastors were previously held in contempt of court and fined for violating limits on indoor public gatherings. But a state appellate court reversed those decisions last year, saying that the restrictions on indoor worship services were stricter than for secular activities such as going to grocery stores.”
KSBY
In 2020, California placed several restrictions on business owners that would eventually cripple the economy. The state arbitrarily decided which businesses could remain open to the public and which would have to close their doors. Smaller businesses were framed as unsafe for the public because there wasn’t sufficient space to “social distance,” were often shut down, and as a result, the nation witnessed the largest transfer of wealth in history. Large box stores escaped the pandemic practically unscathed.
Among the institutions forcibly closed by the state were churches and houses of worship. Marijuana dispensaries and strip clubs were allowed to remain open, labeled “essential businesses.” Around this time, a judge ruled in favor of the clubs remaining open to the public stating the following, “These business establishments provide sustenance to and enliven the spirits of the community while providing employers and employees with means to put food on the table and secure shelter, clothing, medical care . . .”
After just over a month, it became clear that the state couldn’t order churches to remain closed — as it was a clear violation of the First Amendment — and instead, made a lengthy list of requirements churches would need to abide by. Churches were instructed to shorten services, limit attendees, refrain from singing, implement mask mandates, and abide by social distancing guidelines, among other demands.
Churches, like Calvary Chapel San Jose, that did not comply, received intense backlash from local and state officials who didn’t appreciate the threat to their authority.
Judge Pennypacker ruled that the regulations placed on the church were lawful, and therefore ordered the church to pay the $1.2 million fine. The ruling stated, “It should appear clear to all—regardless of religious affiliation—that wearing a mask while worshiping one’s god and communing with other congregants is a simple, unobtrusive, giving way to protect others while still exercising your right to religious freedom . . . Unfortunately, Defendants repeatedly refused to model, much less, enforce this gesture. Instead, they repeatedly flouted their refusal to comply with the Public Health Orders and urged others to do so ‘who cares what the cost,’ including death.”
According to local reports, the church plans to appeal the ruling.
