Press Release

Tyler & Bursch, LLP / Advocates for Faith & Freedom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 3, 2021

Contact: nada Higuera at 951-600-2733
media@tylerbursch.com

Two Churches Monumental Victory of $500,000 Settlement

For Immediate Release 09/03/2021, Los Angeles, California –Monumental Victory for Two Churches in a California federal lawsuit that challenged government restrictions imposed on places of worship has settled in favor of the churches and their pastors (Plaintiffs): Cross Culture Christian Center (CCCC) of Lodi and its pastor Jon Duncan, and Cornerstone Church of Fresno and its Pastor Jim Franklin.

Plaintiffs’ Counsel Nada Higuera Associate General Counsel with Advocates for Faith & Freedom stated “After a long 16-month hard fought legal battle, the State and San Joaquin County have finally been held accountable for abusing their authority under the guise of public health. This is a monumental victory not just for the churches in this case, but for all places of worship throughout California.”

“Freedom loving Californians should be encouraged by this result and continue to stand firm against tyrannical government restrictions. Justice will ultimately prevail, no matter how long we have to fight.”
 
Religious freedom is non-negotiable – this is a big win for the First Amendment, its protection of the free exercise of religion, and places of worship challenging government overreach. Sixteen-months of litigation has finally been resolved in the middle of the Churches’ Ninth Circuit appeal in favor of the free exercise of religion.
 
State Defendants included Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón. San Joaquin County Defendants included Dr. Maggie Park and Marcia Cunningham. Fresno County Defendants included Dr. Rais Vohra and David Pomaville. State Defendants will pay $400,000 in attorney’s fees to Plaintiffs’ counsel. San Joaquin County Defendants, which had targeted CCCC and its landlord Bethel Open Bible Church’s (BOBC) with an outrageously oppressive order to shut down the entire church property, will pay $100,000 to CCCC. BOBC used the San Joaquin County’s unlawful order as an excuse to illegally cancel CCCC’s lease and lock the church out of the building. We believe that this is the first time where a county has paid damages to a church resulting from government COVID-19 restrictions.
 
There is a Great Revival for Religious Freedoms across California.

For additional comments and interviews, please contact Nada Higuera at 951-600-2733 or media@tylerbursch.com

About Tyler & Bursch, LLP (www.tylerbursch.com): With offices in Murrieta and Irvine CA, Tyler & Bursch’s attorneys have been litigating civil liberties cases for more than 25 years in federal and state court. Tyler & Bursch provides pro-bono legal support through the non-profit legal organization, Advocates for Faith & Freedom (www.faith-freedom.com).

About Cornerstone Church (https://cornerstonefresno.com): Pastor Jim Franklin has served as Senior Pastor since 1993. In the almost 26 years, the church has grown to a weekly attendance of over 2000 attendees. Cornerstone Church is a multi-ethnic congregation located in the heart of downtown Fresno, with over 50 ministry outlets to reach our community for Christ, educate believers in “knowing the Word” as well as “doing the Word.” Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Jim Franklin, our motto, for 26 years, has been “Bringing Our City Back to God.” That is done through the outreach ministries in our community, the Performing Arts presentations, radio, teaching ministry, and a variety of weekly class opportunities.
 
About Cross Culture Christian Center (https://crossculturelodi.com): Pastor Jon Duncan Lead Pastor of Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi explains we are simply a Community of the Rescued. Our heart is to truly be The Cross Culture, making the Love of God our priority. We as a Community are working through our struggles so we will better reflect Christ in our lives, home and world. Our desire is to love as Jesus loved, teach as Jesus taught, and give as Jesus gave.

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