Central, Louisiana’s Reverend Tony Spell is back in the news. This time a petition to hear his case was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. Associate Justice Samuel Alito declined to bring the case for review before the entire court, without comment. Spell’s claim that his First Amendment rights have been violated by Louisiana’s coronavirus guidelines had already been ruled against by lower courts.
Spell has been in the news repeatedly for violating Governor Jon Bel Edwards’ gathering restriction orders, and for a charge of aggravated assault for backing into a protester with a church bus. Despite many churches limiting crowd sizes to a maximum of 50 people and moving to virtual services, Spell, a Pentecostal minister of Life Tabernacle Church had been holding gatherings during the early days of the state’s coronavirus restrictions. Over 1,000 people from surrounding communities attended the church services.
Spell’s case will now move forward with the prosecution of the misdemeanor and the criminal felony charge.
At the same time Spell’s case was rejected by the Supreme Court, another case in New York has been given relief. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had a gathering restriction order for church services has been prevented from reimposing restriction limits in a 5-4 decision with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett being the deciding vote.
