Louisiana Supreme Court rules in favor of Pastor Tony Spell

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Pastor Tony Spell says he’s already planning a triumphant Sunday sermon, following a Louisiana Supreme Court decision that declared the state’s COVID restrictions violated his first amendment rights.

The ruling came down Fri., May 13.

The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that Gov. John Bel Edwards' early COVID-19 restrictions on religious gatherings violated the state and U.S. Constitution, finding even the earliest days of a public health emergency must not relegate the First Amendment to a mere "proposition."



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Spell was arrested in April of 2020 after being accused of violating executive orders from Governor John Bel Edwards that laid out restrictions on businesses and in-person gatherings during the peak of the pandemic. Despite those orders, Spell continued to hold massive in-person services at Life Tabernacle Church in Central.

In a 19-page ruling, State Justice William J Crain overturned lower court rulings, arguing the state could not prove that large church gatherings posed a greater risk of exposure to the virus than shopping at a secular business or attending work as an essential employee.

“The virus does not have a brain. It does not stop at the store of Walmart and come into the church,” said Spell in an interview just hours after the ruling was made public Friday, May 13.

Justices appeared to share that opinion.

The ruling also dismisses six misdemeanor counts against Spell. He explained those charges had kept him from being able to travel freely, even after COVID restrictions expired, and caused him to miss the birth of his second grandson.



Governor John Bel Edwards disagreed with the decision. His office issued the following statement on the ruling Friday afternoon.

"While the Governor disagrees with the Court’s ruling and maintains that his orders were both necessary and lawful, he is accepting of it. Each and every action Gov. Edwards took throughout the COVID pandemic was done with the goal of protecting the public’s health and saving lives."