The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports on testimony in yesterday's the trial of a civil lawsuit filed by Palm Beach County's Westgate Tabernacle Church that is fighting county efforts to close down its operations as a homeless shelter. (See prior posting.) Westgate claims that the county is violating its religious freedom when it interferes with its housing the homeless. County Commissioners disagreed in their testimony as to whether Palm Beach County currently has sufficient shelter spaces for the homeless. Many of the homeless people served by Westgate attended the trial.
UPDATE: Saturday's South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the jury in the state court trial has returned a verdict, finding that the county did not interfere with Westgate Tabernacle Church's religious freedom to shelter the homeless. It did, however, find that a substantial burden was placed on the religious exercise of Bishop Avis Hill, but that the Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was not violated because the regulations were the least restrictive means to insure public safety. Rev. Alan Clapsaddle and Westgate's attorney Barry Silver said they would seek a new trial or would appeal on the grounds that the court misinterpreted provisions of RLUIPA and Florida's RFRA.
