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Trustees of the New Life in Christ Church v. City of Fredericksburg, Virginia

Petition for certiorari denied on January 18, 2022

Docket No. Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
21-164 N/A N/A N/A N/A OT 2021

Issue: (1) Whether civil authorities violate the First Amendment when they engage in their own interpretation of church doctrine to overrule a church"s determination that a particular official is a minister and, if so, whether summary reversal is appropriate; (2) whether, in the alternative, the Supreme Court should grant, vacate, and remand in light of Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, because Virginia has enacted a "system of individual exemptions" to its property tax law, and the city ""may not refuse to extend that [exemption] system to [the Church] without compelling reason.""

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
08/02/2021Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 3, 2021)
09/03/2021Brief of respondent City of Fredericksburg, Virginia in opposition filed.
09/03/2021Brief amicus curiae of Coalition for Jewish Values filed.
09/03/2021Brief amici curiae of American Association of Christian Schools, et al. filed.
09/03/2021Brief amici curiae of The Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, et al. filed.
09/03/2021Brief amici curiae of Kentucky, et al. filed.
09/03/2021Motion for leave to file amici brief filed by Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, et al.
09/22/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/8/2021.
09/22/2021Reply of petitioners Trustees of the New Life In Christ Church filed. (Distributed)
10/06/2021Rescheduled.
10/12/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/15/2021.
10/13/2021Rescheduled.
10/25/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/29/2021.
11/01/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/5/2021.
11/08/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/12/2021.
11/15/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/19/2021.
11/29/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/3/2021.
12/06/2021DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/10/2021.
01/03/2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/7/2022.
01/10/2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/14/2022.
01/18/2022Motion for leave to file amici brief filed by Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, et al. GRANTED.
01/18/2022Petition DENIED. Justice Gorsuch, dissenting from the denial of certiorari. (Detached Opinion)