California Gov. Gavin Newsom had the right to ban church assemblies in the interest of public health during the coronavirus outbreak, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
Newsom's stay-at-home order did not violate the constitutional rights to free assembly and religion when the Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi was ordered to cease holding services, U.S. District Judge John Mendez in Sacramento said.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Christian Center and its pastor, Jonathan Duncan, alleged that Newsom's stay-at-home order in March violated their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and assembly. The church held services until the church's landlord, under threat of misdemeanor from county health officials, changed the locks on the church doors.
The church was one of several that initially defied the governor's order. Most churches have moved to online services.
Mendez said state and local stay-at-home orders were a valid exercise of emergency police powers and didn't violate the church's constitutional rights. Mendez noted that the Supreme Court over 100 years ago upheld the government's right to exercise police powers to promote public safety during a public health crisis.