Newbury Park Church Held In Contempt Of Court

NEWBURY PARK, CA — A Newbury Park church was fined $3,000 and found to be in contempt of court for refusing to stop holding indoor church services despite a public health order and a temporary restraining order.

Pastor Rob McCoy of the Godspeak Calvary Chapel, who was held in contempt but not personally fined, shrugged it off. “We’re standing in defense of a government’s overreach and a government that would call the church non-essential,” he said. “It’s a small price to pay and I’m good with it.”

McCoy, who was a councilmember and former mayor of Thousand Oaks but resigned in April due to controversy over refusing to close his church down, continued to hold packed indoor services even after a judge issued a temporary restraining order. Crowds for and against the church gathered outside during the Aug. 9 Sunday services, and a woman was knocked over in a scuffle.

Ventura County held an emergency hearing two days later to request that McCoy be held in contempt of court, and Ventura County Sheriff’s Department take action to close the church down. O’Neill ruled that the Sheriffs must retain a neutral role, but set a contempt of court hearing.

At the contempt hearing Friday, O’Neill fined the church $500 per indoor worship session since the injunction was put in place. O’Neill said that he was ruling only on whether the church had violated the order.

“It’s indeed an unpleasant duty here. The issues are narrow today, as I mentioned at the start,” O’Neill said. “I fully understand that there’s a reason that freedom of religion is protected by the very first amendment, but I have a duty to uphold the court’s order that was duly issued.”

O’Neill also noted that the church had the option to hold services outside, as many other houses of worship have done.

A full hearing to decide whether to extend the temporary restraining order will be held Aug. 31.