Judge Denies County Request To Shut Down Church

NEWBURY PARK, CA — A judge denied the Ventura County government’s request Tuesday for an order directing Sheriff Bill Ayub to take immediate action to close a Newbury Park church and hold Pastor Roy McCoy in contempt of court.

Superior Court Judge Vincent O’Neill Jr. said that the Sheriff’s Department must be seen in a “neutral” role should the situation escalate, but set a contempt hearing for Aug. 21

The Ventura County Code Compliance Division requested an emergency hearing Monday after the Godspeak Cavalry Chapel in Newbury Park defied a judge’s orders to move services outdoors. The church held three different services Sunday, and crowds of protesters both for and against the church’s actions gathered outside.

Pastor McCoy, a former Thousand Oaks mayor and councilmember who served on the City Council until April, told the Ventura County Star that he considered the judge “measured and balanced.” McCoy said he will continue to hold indoor services until the contempt hearing, also noting that the church offers hand sanitizers, and has not seen any COVID-19 cases.

County Counsel Leroy Smith told the Star that he was pleased that O’Neill set a contempt hearing. He said he understood the judge’s rationale that the sheriff should remain a neutral party.

Last Friday, Judge Matthew Guasco issued a temporary restraining order for the church to cease indoor services until another hearing on Aug. 31. McCoy’s attorney asked that Guasco be replaced with another judge because he felt that Guasco was “biased.”

A current county order bans indoor services as long as Ventura County remains on the state watch list. Ventura County currently counts 8,740 cases of COVID-19 and 93 deaths.