Oregon Supreme Court puts hold on Baker County judge's ruling declaring governor's coronavirus order

[alp227]

Source: The Oregonian

In a late Monday ruling, the Oregon Supreme Court stepped in to put a hold on a dramatic decision by an eastern Oregon judge that declared not only Gov. Kate Brown’s restrictions on church gatherings “null and void” but all her “Stay Home Save Lives’’ coronavirus emergency orders.

State Supreme Court Presiding Justice Thomas A. Balmer in a three-paragraph ruling issued at 7:45 pm. granted the state’s emergency motion after reviewing briefs from both sides.

The hold will remain in effect until the high court considers the state’s full petition to dismiss the Baker County Circuit judge’s preliminary injunction.

Balmer gave the plaintiffs until Friday to file any responses and said the court would take the matter under advisement, with no set timetable for a decision.

Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/judge-finds-oregon-governors-coronavirus-restrictions-on-religious-gatherings-null-and-void-governor-to-seek-state-supreme-court-review.html

[SunSeeker]

1. Good. Glad Oregon has a State Supreme Court firewall against bad local court rulings.

I wish the conservative majority on the US Supreme Court served the same function, instead of being Trump's enablers.

[cstanleytech]

4. Yes the pro Dred Scott majority on SCOTUS is frightening.

[LizBeth]

2. I was glad to hear.

[ffr]

3. Putting right one of the wrongs in the world.

Thank goodness!

[Jim__]

5. Good news!

[McKim]

6. EXCELLENT!!!

Excellent! Although to be fair to Baker County, they had no coronavirus cases yet and they are always economically struggling. The Shelter in Place would have been a death knell for local businesses. I imagine the whole town just got tired of it, not seeing the point. However, I do agree that sheltering probably kept the virus at bay. We need some national level economic relief. There is plenty of money over at the Pentagon.....maybe it’s time they had a bake sale to purchase their next fighter jets.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Oregon high court keeps state virus restrictions in place

Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press Updated 12:46 pm CDT, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Supreme Court has kept statewide virus restrictions in place by halting a judge’s order to end them in a lawsuit filed by churches claiming the governor exceeded her authority when she shut down in-person religious services.

Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff ruled Monday that Gov. Kate Brown erred by not seeking the Legislature’s approval to extend her stay-at-home orders beyond a 28-day limit. Brown's lawyers appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court, which just hours later put a hold on Shirtcliff's decree until the high court's justices can review the matter.

Presiding Justice Thomas Balmer gave both sides until Friday to submit legal briefs. He did not give a timeline for a decision.

In a statement late Monday, Brown, a Democrat, praised the state Supreme Court action.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/article/Oregon-high-court-halts-ruling-nixing-virus-15279599.php#photo-19428570