In a seldom held late-night appeal to the Supreme Court this Friday after many lower courts had already rejected was again turned down a California church who sought to allow full occupancy.
Churches occupancy had been legally limited along with many other restrictions that were signed into state by state executive orders for lockdown protocols meant to end the curve.
The San Diego South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista California tried to appeal to the Supreme Court that limiting the number of people who may attend church services is unconstitutional. The California church maintains their rights to religious freedoms are being violated when attendance is limited by 25% of their normal capacity.
According to the Chula Vista Church which the crowds for services average between 200 and 300 people, limiting their maximum attendance is not welcome by this or most churches trying to resume services. In Chicago, the court had rejected another church who maximum occupancy was severely limited.
Many of these cases have been presented to lower courts with hope that the law would defend their religious freedoms, but this church in the San Diego area was the first to escalate to the level of the Supreme Court.
Initially Governor Jay Pritzker’s restrictions would only allow 10 people at a time in Church, which was harder to argue didn’t limit the availability of religious freedoms. Pritzker ultimately adjusted the limitation on people attending worship services to 100 individuals.
