BREAKING: PJI Wins Major Supreme Court Victory for Churches
Washington, DC—This evening, the United States Supreme Court granted Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) emergency relief to five churches challenging Santa Clara County’s public health orders which ban indoor church services. Up until this evening, the San Francisco Bay Area county was the only place in the nation which set places of worship at a 0% capacity for such services.
Last week the churches first sought an emergency stay in the Ninth Circuit, but that request was denied by the three-judge panel hearing motions. Lawyers for the churches filed an application for an emergency writ of injunction with Justice Elena Kagan who is assigned to the West Coast for emergency motions. Justice Kagan ordered the County to file a response and then referred the matter to the entire Court which sat in conference today. In a 6-3 decision, the high court granted the relief.
“We are pleased that churches in this county will be unlocked this Sunday after being closed for indoor services for the better part of a year,” said PJI president, Brad Dacus.
The churches are Gateway City Church, The Home Church, The Spectrum Church, Orchard Community Church, and Trinity Bible Church which are represented by PJI in a joint effort with the Cannistraci Law Firm and McAllister Law Group.