A judge is to decide today whether to release an Alberta pastor from jail after his lawyer argued his client should be free to lead worshippers until his trial.
James Coates with GraceLife Church, west of Edmonton, is accused of ignoring COVID-19 rules.
He has been in jail for over two weeks and is appealing his bail conditions. On Thursday his lawyers argued that Coates' faith means he is unable to restrict worship gathering sizes as a leader of his faith community.
"This is a matter of deep-seated personal conscience and religious beliefs for Pastor Coates," said lawyer James Kitchen. "He is unable to disobey the God he believes in. He is compelled to obey ... as [are] his congregants."
Kitchen says that Coates should be released without coniditions.
Coates is charged with violating Alberta's Public Health Act and with breaking a promise to abide by conditions of his bail release, which is a Criminal Code offence.
Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn will give his ruling Friday morning.
More to come.
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With files from The Canadian Press
Fri, Apr 19, 6:00 PM
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