SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. — In a victory for a San Jose church who openly flouted COVID rules at the height of the pandemic, the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a petition by Santa Clara County asking that Calvary Chapel pay more than a quarter million dollars in court fees.
“We feel really relieved,” said Mariah Gondeiro, the attorney representing Calvary Chapel.
As a result, the church won’t have to fork over $217,500, which was previously decided by a 6th District Court of Appeal ruling issued over the summer. In that decision, the court reversed the fees stemming from court orders issued in December 2020 and February 2021 when Calvary Chapel openly defied the county’s public health orders. In their August ruling, the appellate court cited multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions last year that favored religious freedoms over public health rules.
