A federal court judge bucked an order from Louisville, Ky., Mayor Greg Fischer (D) that disallows drive-in church services over the weekend amid the pandemic, saying the measures “criminalized” Easter celebrations.
On Fire Christian Church sued Fischer and the city of Louisville on Friday, claiming that the mayor’s directive for churches to forgo gatherings to aid in slowing the spread of the coronavirus violates constitutional rights and religious liberties.
U.S. District Judge Justin Walker issued a temporary restraining order Saturday, saying, “On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter,” the Louisville Courier Journal reported.