(Washington, D.C.)—COVID-19 restrictions generated tremendous legal violations, many of which were overturned and ultimately deemed unconstitutional. In the case of Calvary Chapel San Jose v. California, the county imposed heavy fines for holding religious services, despite the fact that those restrictions were determined to be in violation of the Constitution. The church was fined over a million dollars, violating both the First Amendment right to religious liberty and Eighth Amendment prohibition on excessive fines. When the government imposes over a million dollars in fines for the violation of unconstitutional regulations, it undermines the very constitutional restraints intended to protect individual liberty.
Despite multiple Supreme Court rulings declaring similar California restrictions unconstitutional, the county has continued to pursue over $1.2 million in fines against Calvary Chapel for holding indoor services. This is the fifth instance of lower courts in California failing to follow higher courts’ analysis on COVID restrictions and religious practices.
The Liberty Justice Center has filed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case and ensure that the government cannot use financial ruin to evade judicial review. The brief argues that the government cannot be allowed to enforce unconstitutional laws by imposing “grossly disproportionate” fines that far exceed penalties for much more dangerous activities, even during a pandemic.
“Religious exercise is a core constitutional protection, and local governments need to respect those rights, even where its inconvenient for them,” said Reilly Stephens, senior counsel and Director of Amicus Practice at the Liberty Justice Center. “Imposing fines for illegal restrictions validates the government’s bad behavior, and we hope the Supreme Court takes up the case and affirms church’s rights once and for all.”
The Liberty Justice Center has fought against government overreach perpetuated by the COVID-19 pandemic and won in recent years. In the 2022 case McDonald v. Lawson, LJC secured a victory for free speech, when the Medical Board for California illegally punished doctors by revoking their licenses for saying anything in contradiction to “contemporary scientific consensus” during the pandemic. In Public Schools v. Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in favor of LJC’s plaintiffs, giving private independent schools across the state access to previously withheld COVID-19 emergency funds.
The ramifications of abused power granted during the pandemic are still being felt, and the Liberty Justice Center remains committed to bringing justice for individuals and organizations around the country, just like Calvary Chapel.
The Liberty Justice Center’s brief in Calvary Chapel San Jose v. California is available here.