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- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito refused to get involved in a case against Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards on Friday, The Monroe Star-News reported.
- In the spring in Central, Louisiana, Pastor Tony Spell openly violated Edwards’ order banning gatherings of more than 10 people.
- Spell sued local and state officials, claiming the ordinance violated his First Amendment rights, also claiming he had been harassed by officials according to the Associated Press.
- “Reasonable and legal mitigation measures have been necessary to protect the people of Louisiana from the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus,” Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said in a statement on Saturday.
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United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday declined to hear a petition presented by a Louisiana pastor claiming that Governor John Bel Edwards’ order to stem the spread of COVID-19 was in violation of its First Amendment rights.
In the spring, Tony Spell, the pastor of Life Tabernacle Church in Central, Louisiana, ignored Edwards’ stay-at-home order that banned gatherings of more than 10 people, even by bus to nearby towns for attend church services, according to the Monroe News-Star.
At the time, Spell said he defied the order to stay at Edwards’ house in the spring because “the Lord told us,” according to the report. As Insider previously reported, Spell serviced around 1,000 people while the order was in place.
The pastor was later arrested and charged with an offense in connection with an altercation with a counter-protester, according to the News-Star. On another occasion, he also led a protest against Edwards outside the governor’s mansion in Baton Rouge, according to the report.
“Throughout this pandemic, I have let science and data inform the many difficult decisions I have made regarding collection sizes and other mitigation measures to slow the spread of COVID,” said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, in a statement Saturday acknowledging Alito’s refusal to get involved.
“I did not take such decisions lightly,” he said. “Reasonable and legal mitigation measures were necessary to protect the people of Louisiana from the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus, which would limit the ability of hospitals to provide care. I am grateful that the United States Supreme Court has denied this effort to reverse these mitigation efforts. “
As the Associated Press reported, in addition to refusing to hear the dispute, Alito also neglected to ask Louisiana officials to respond and send the case back to the full court. Alito’s rejection comes after lower courts ruled against Spell, who sued local and state officials over the order after claiming he was harassed by officials.
“For months, I spoke and prayed with leaders of many faiths as we navigated this pandemic together,” Bel Edwards added. “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.”
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