Injunction violates 1st Amendment’s assurance of religious liberty, case charges
By Bob Unruh
A state judge in Florida has been sued for violating the U.S. Constitution with an injunction that barred congregants of Coastal Family Church from holding church, and threatening them with contempt citations if they did.
Liberty Counsel foundation Mat Staver, whose organization was in the fight on behalf of the church, warned, “The U.S. Constitution leaves no room for court orders that operate as prior restraints on religious worship. When a judge issues an order that suppresses First Amendment freedoms, federal courts have both the authority and the obligation to intervene.
“Every additional day that this injunction remains in force deepens the constitutional harm on Coastal Family Church and its congregation. The U.S. Constitution and Florida laws are clear that Coastal Family Church has the right to hold church services on church property and that restrictive covenants cannot ban religious assembly. This injunction must be overturned,” he said.