Judge Fines Church $1.2 Million for Defying Lockdown Rules

A judge has hit a California church with a staggering $1.2 million fine for holding services in defiance of the state’s draconian Covid lockdown.

Superior Court Judge Evette D. Pennypacker ordered Calvary Chapel in San Jose to pay the huge fine for holding large religious services between November 2020 and June 2021.

The church also failed to mandate mask-wearing in defiance of Santa Clara County’s masking requirements, the judge ruled.

Calvary Chapel, which has been engaged in long legal battles for defying the lockdown restrictions, argued that the county’s rules violated its religious freedom.

Pennypack wrote in her ruling, “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.”

However, multiple studies have found that not only do masks do nothing to protect against Covid, but they also harm people after prolonged use.

The judge accused the church of “egregious conduct” that “urged” attendees to defy the restriction with a “who cares what the cost” attitude.

According to KTVU, Calvary Chapel temporarily closed its doors in March 2020 but reopened for services at the end of May 2020.

The church, which has a capacity of 600 people, did not reopen with a capacity cap as mandated by the county at the time.

As a result, the church and its leadership were subsequently held in contempt of court and fined for failing to limit indoor capacity.

However, the state appellate court reversed the decision last year, citing unequal and stricter restrictions placed on indoor religious services versus secular activities and places like grocery stores.

Concerning the appellate court’s decision, Mariah Gondeiro, an attorney for the church, told Fox News in August 2022: “The Supreme Court has been very clear over the last year that these orders violated the First Amendment.”

“The county, as well as the state of California, allowed a lot of essential businesses – or businesses that they deemed essential – to stay open, but not this church,” she explained.

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“And that’s why the appeals court ultimately overturned the fines.”

Despite the earlier appeal, the county continued to seek a fine for violating its mask mandate.

In response to this month’s ruling, County Counsel James Williams stated that the court “once again saw through Calvary’s unsupported claims and found them meritless.”

“The county’s response to the pandemic, including the health officer’s public health orders and enforcement against entities that refused to follow the law, saved thousands of lives and resulted in one of the lowest death rates of any community in the United States,” Williams said.

Gondeiro stated that the church plans to appeal the latest court ruling.

“We look forward to establishing more precedent on appeal that will have far greater implications for the future,” Gondeiro told the San Jose Mercury News.

READ MORE: Fully Vaxxed Lose 25 Years of Life Expectancy, Study Shows

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By Frank Bergman

Frank Bergman is a political/economic journalist living on the east coast. Aside from news reporting, Bergman also conducts interviews with researchers and material experts and investigates influential individuals and organizations in the sociopolitical world.

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