![]() ![]() On Day 1 of his trial for a public health code violation ticket, the pastor took the. The church has been holding services that officials say break public-health regulations on attendance, masking and distancing. The trial of GraceLife Church pastor James Coates began Monday morning in an Edmonton courtroom. He was arrested last week and remanded in custody after refusing to agree to bail conditions.Ĭoates was charged this month for violating Alberta’s Public Health Act and breaking a promise to abide by rules of his bail release, which is a Criminal Code offence. James Coates with GraceLife Church in Spruce Grove, near Edmonton, did not appear in court Wednesday when a date for a three-day trial was set to start May 3. The case of Pastor James Coates has become one of the highest profile and most controversial cases of freedom of religion versus COVID-19 health restrictions in the country. ![]() Coates is represented by Leighton Grey and James Kitchen of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. The story has been corrected.Ī trial date has been set for a jailed Alberta pastor who is accused of holding Sunday services that violated COVID-19 rules. Rebel News reporter Sheila Gunn Reid watched and live-tweeting the first day (May 3, 2021) of the trial of Pastor James Coates, who allegedly violated public health orders by not limiting his GraceLife Church congregation. In fact, he said he didn’t think the pastor would abide by public health orders. Pastor James Coates was held for nearly five weeks on charges related to his refusal to turn congregants away from GraceLife Church. Editor’s note: A prior version of this story erroneously quoted lawyer John Carpay of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms as saying he didn’t think the pastor would abide by unscientific public health workers.
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