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After the Supreme Court declined to hear the case of a Louisiana pastor facing criminal charges for defying coronavirus restrictions, the state governor weighed in.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said on Saturday he had “let science and data inform” the decisions he made on crowd sizes and other restrictions.
“I am grateful that the United States Supreme Court has denied this effort to overturn these mitigation efforts,” Edwards said in a statement.
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“For months, I spoke and prayed with leaders of many faiths as we navigated this pandemic together. I know how difficult this time has been for them and I am deeply grateful for their commitment to practice their faith even under difficult circumstances and with the health of their congregations in mind. “
Life Tabernacle Church pastor Tony Spell filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court earlier this month seeking redress for the nine criminal charges currently pending against him.
Pastor Tony Spell speaks to the media after holding an evening service at Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana on March 31. Spell faces misdemeanor charges for holding services previously despite a ban on gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo / Gerald Herbert)
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Spell’s case argued that Louisiana’s restrictions on large gatherings violate “one of the most valuable guarantees of the First Amendment: the right of a church, which by definition is an assembly, to decide to meet. or not.”
Supreme Court Judge Samuel Alito dismissed Spell’s request on Friday evening without seeking information from Louisiana officials or sending the case back to court.
Spell also sued local and state officials in May, but lower courts ruled against him.
According to the latest filing, Spell has been charged with several felons for violating coronavirus restrictions and one count for allegedly attempting to hit a protester with his vehicle.
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Alito’s decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled against capacity restrictions on Wednesday at church services in parts of New York City.
The High Court also ruled that 5-4 left the coronavirus restrictions in California and Nevada in place.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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