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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. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
21-164 Va. Cir. Ct. N/A N/A N/A N/A OT 2021

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