Idaho Christians Sue City of Moscow

A group of Idaho Christians has filed a federal lawsuit in response to their arrests for not wearing masks. KREM TV reports that three folks arrested last September for violating Moscow, Idaho's mask mandate filed the suit with help from the Thomas Moore Society.

Gabriel Rench, and Sean, and Rachel Bohnet of Christ Church took part in a religious sing-along on September 23rd. A judge later dismissed the charges reports KREM. Thomas More Society Special Counsel Michael Jacques gave his thoughts in a press release:

“These worshipers had participated in a church sing in the past under the same mask ordinance without any issues and were exercising their freedom as Americans to worship as the Constitution allows,” Jacques explained. “However, the city was so eager to make an example of Christ Church’s opposition to its restrictive COVID rules that the officers failed to follow the mandatory exemptions listed in the city ordinance. A motto of government in prosecuting its citizens is that ‘ignorance of the law is no defense,’ and when they recklessly deprive its citizens of their freedoms, ignorance will not be a defense for the government.”

The lawsuit cites the city, the police chief, the arresting officers, and the prosecuting attorney, reports KTVB. Sean Bohnet shared his experience of being arrested for speaking freely in America.

“We thought a city that would premeditatively break the law in order to detain and jail those lawfully not wearing masks would at least offer one to incarcerated people,” shared Bohnet. “However, we were in good company. Staff at the jail occasionally had no issue with letting their faces freely shine too.”

You can read the entire complaint here.