A federal judge on Monday, July 20, turned down a bid by Harvest church ministries for an immediate halt to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order preventing various group-worship activities, including singing and chanting during services, as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The court did set Aug 3 for filings for a possible preliminary injunction.
Lawyers for Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry were denied a temporary restraining order because they had not properly noticed Newsom’s office of the lawsuit, and they did not meet the standards for gaining the order without such notice, U.S. District Court Judge Otis D. Wright III said.
The church group has campuses in Pasadena, Irvine and Corona.
Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry are not affiliated with Pastor Greg Laurie’s Harvest Christian Fellowship church in Riverside, said plaintiff attorney Nicolai Cocis.
The church group that sued last week to halt the order had also filed for an immediate court order to stop it for at least the immediate future.
“We are pleased that the court has set an expedited briefing schedule on the request for a preliminary injunction,” said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which is representing Harvest, in a statement.
A temporary restraining order is a short-term halt of an action. A preliminary injunction also can halt imposition of orders, such as Newsom’s, but for a longer period of time, usually during the court battle over the issue.
The church sought to prevent enforcement of Newsom’s July 13 order that prohibits gatherings for any indoor worship service, signing or chanting during religious worship, and gatherings in private homes for small-group Bible studies and services.
Those were part of a sweeping set of re-instituted closures after the coronavirus pandemic had a resurgence of new cases and deaths in the state.
Bars, inside dining and, for much of the state, gyms also faced renewed shutdowns.
There have been recorded cases of coronavirus infections spreading among choral groups, including a massive outbreak in Washington.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision on May 29, upheld Newsom’s earlier restrictions on worship services imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Wire services contributed to this story.
