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Case docket

Calvary Chapel of Bangor v. Janet Mills — court filings

Calvary Chapel of Bangor v. Janet Mills — court filings — 5 documents in the archive, dated May 5, 2020 to June 4, 2021.

See also: Calvary Chapel of Bangor v. Mills (2020) — the same docket under another case page, 1 public filing; 1 of the documents appear on both pages.

Case facts

CourtUNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT (2 filings); U.S. District Court for the District of Maine (2 filings)
Docket numberNo. 1:20-cv-00156 — main docket · CourtListener docket 58344
Filings5 public filings
Filed2020-05-05 – 2021-06-04
Document typesorders (2), complaint (1), motion (1)
Original PDFs5 of 5

Case summary

Calvary Chapel of Bangor filed a ten-count verified complaint on May 5, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, Docket No. 1:20-cv-00156-NT, against Janet Mills, Governor of Maine, alleging that the Governor's orders issued in response to COVID-19, which then limited the size of gatherings to ten people, violated the church's constitutional and statutory rights. The court denied the motion for a temporary restraining order on May 9, 2020 and denied an injunction pending appeal. On December 22, 2020 the First Circuit dismissed the appeal for lack of appellate jurisdiction. The Governor then amended her orders, loosened the restrictions and removed all limits on gatherings, and on June 4, 2021 the court granted her motion to dismiss the complaint as moot and denied the church's renewed motion for a preliminary injunction.

Case at a glance

PartiesPlaintiff Calvary Chapel of Bangor; defendant Janet T. Mills, in her official capacity as Governor of the State of Maine
Court and docketU.S. District Court for the District of Maine, Docket No. 1:20-cv-00156-NT, Hon. Nancy Torresen; on appeal, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, No. 20-1507
ProgramNot named in the filings on this page. The case concerns Maine's executive orders limiting the size of gatherings, not a pandemic relief program
ClaimsTen counts: free exercise, peaceable assembly, free speech and establishment under the First Amendment (counts I to IV); equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment (count V); the Guarantee Clause of Article IV, § 4 (count VI); free exercise and free speech under Article 1, §§ 3 and 4 of the Maine Constitution (counts VII and VIII); suspension of laws only by the Maine Legislature (count IX); and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc to 2000cc-5 (count X)
Disposition or statusTemporary restraining order denied May 9, 2020; appeal dismissed for lack of appellate jurisdiction December 22, 2020; motion to dismiss granted and renewed preliminary injunction denied June 4, 2021. The June 2021 order records that a petition for writ of certiorari filed March 22, 2021 was then still pending
Status checked2026-09-23 · against DOJ press releases through 2026-09-22; court docket not yet read

What did the court decide in June 2021?

That the Governor's motion to dismiss the complaint as moot is granted and Calvary Chapel's renewed motion for a preliminary injunction is denied, after the Governor amended her orders, loosened the restrictions on gatherings and ultimately removed all limits, and the church at no time sought to amend its complaint.

What happened on appeal?

The First Circuit dismissed Calvary Chapel's appeal for lack of appellate jurisdiction on December 22, 2020, in No. 20-1507.

What does the record say about the orders being reimposed?

The Governor's chief legal counsel and principal adviser on the state's emergency response stated that it is highly unlikely the Governor will ever reimpose the ten-person limit on gatherings set out in Executive Order 14 FY 19/20, at least for religious gatherings. The order also cites Executive Order 38, which eliminated capacity limits on indoor gatherings effective May 24, 2021.

Docket

5 documents in docket-entry order; attachments follow their entry. Gaps name the entries we do not have.

No. 1:20-cv-00156

  1. Verified Complaint — Calvary Chapel of Bangor v. MillsEntry 1
  2. —Entry 2 is not in the archive
  3. Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction — Calvary Chapel v. Mills (D. Me.)Entry 3
  4. —Entries 4–26 are not in the archive
  5. Order Denying Motion for Temporary Restraining Order — Calvary Chapel v. Mills (D. Me.)Entry 27
  6. —Entries 28–34 and 36–37 are not in the archive; entry 35 is listed under More documents below
  7. First Circuit Opinion — Dismissal for Lack of Appellate Jurisdiction — Calvary Chapel v. Mills (D. Me.)Entry 38
  8. —Entries 39–68 are not in the archive
  9. Order on Motion to Dismiss and Pending Injunctive Relief Motions — Calvary Chapel v. Mills (D. Me.)Entry 69

More documents from this case’s dockets

1 more document linked to this case’s dockets is in the archive and not in the docket above.

  1. Assented-To Motion to Stay Proceedings Pending Appeal — Calvary Chapel of Bangor v. Mills (D. Me., 5/25/2020)Source document

Other cases in the archive from UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT.

Court, dates and docket numbers are as recorded on the filings.

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