Federal court upholds California's CO19 restrictions on churches (Religion Clause)

California is among the ten states that have barred all in-person religious gatherings. “Plaintiffs argue that the Orders are underinclusive of secular activities that may also contribute to the spread of COVID-19 because they allow grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and marijuana dispensaries to remain open,” district court Judge Jesus G. Bernal said in his ruling. “But these are all essential services: without access to the food and medicines sold at these locations, more citizens would become ill or die.... If the state applies the same rules to in-person religious gatherings ... people will get sick and die from attending religious gatherings just as they are dying from working in grocery stores.”