{"product_id":"unlocking-the-churches-the-legal-victory-against-californias-pandemic-era-religious-discrimination-9798889115106","title":"Unlocking the Churches: The Legal Victory Against California's Pandemic-Era Religious Discrimination","description":"\u003cp\u003e \"[I]t could be well said that a country, preserved at the sacrifice of all the cardinal principles of liberty, is not worth the cost of preservation.\" -- The Supreme Court in Ex Parte Milligan, 1866 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e This firsthand account by Jeffrey M. Trissell, Esq., one of the attorneys who fought on \"the front lines\" in the heroic legal battles during the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic, unravels the controversies surrounding the unprecedented lockdown of churches. He served on a legal team that represented churches in three lawsuits seeking to strike down California governor Gavin Newsom's church-closure orders. His team's efforts ultimately resulted in the only two successful victories in the lower courts in California, three trips to the U.S. Supreme Court within a year, and a permanent injunction entered against Governor Newsom and the State of California. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In these shocking pages, which include a foreword by Tom Brejcha, Trissell deftly weaves the history of that legal fight with fascinating historical anecdotes and clear explanations of legal terminologies and their present-day applications. He evaluates questions regarding this extraordinary lockdown, such as: \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Can and should constitutional rights be curtailed during a national emergency, or is protection of those rights most important during emergencies? \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Is religious liberty quickly becoming a second-tier constitutional right that the government can feel free to ignore? \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Is worship deserving of more protection than other activities, or is it simply a disposable pastime? If so, why didn't more faith leaders push back? \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Can and should public protests, such as the George Floyd riots, be permitted when worship is not? \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e What did the national emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic reveal about the dangers of state laws that contravene the separation of powers doctrine? \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e What legal and moral recourse do the faithful have in the face of unjust laws? \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e Recalling the powerful examples of St. Thomas More and others in standing up for their beliefs in the face of tyranny, Trissell challenges believers not to remain silent in times of persecution: A faith worth dying for is a faith worth living for. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"We may not shelter in place when the Constitution is under attack. Things never go well when we do.\" -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Sophia Institute Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/20\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798889115106\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.88lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.60d","brand":"Jeffrey M. Trissell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45483945132213,"sku":"9798889115106","price":16.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_af1c1400-d817-4761-a825-12388fd0ecdd.jpg?v=1749565908","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/unlocking-the-churches-the-legal-victory-against-californias-pandemic-era-religious-discrimination-9798889115106","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}