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Appeals Court Rejects Pasadena Ministry’s Bid in COVID-19 Restrictions Suit

Published on Thursday, December 24, 2020 | 3:48 pm
 
Harvest Rock Church

A federal appeals court turned down Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry’s bid for an emergency pre-Christmas ruling overturning Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 guidelines on indoor worship, according to court papers obtained Thursday.

The loss will have no effect on area worship services since Los Angeles County previously relaxed its guidelines for church services, allowing for socially distanced gatherings both indoors and outdoors.

After a Riverside federal judge on Monday turned down the ministry’s request to block state restrictions on indoor worship, the church sought an emergency injunction Tuesday with the appeals court against the governor’s guidelines. The next day, in a 2-1 decision, a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena turned down the request.

The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this month ordered a lower court to review previous rulings.

The California Attorney General’s Office opposed the ministry’s efforts to challenge the health order.

The ministry contends Newsom’s “tyrannical” executive orders placing restrictions on places of worship are unconstitutional and discriminate against churches.

As a result of the dramatic rise in coronavirus cases throughout the state last month, Newsom halted reopening plans and put almost all of California back under a strict set of rules that prohibit indoor worship and force most indoor business to close or operate at a fraction of their capacity.

Harvest Rock Church has multiple campuses, including in Pasadena, Los Angeles, Irvine and Corona. Harvest International Ministry has 162 member churches throughout the state.

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