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Case docket

Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak — U.S. District Court, D. Nev.

Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak — 20 court filings in the archive, mostly from U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, filed between May 28, 2020 and May 13, 2021. Among them: 4 orders, 2 declarations and 2 motions.

Case facts

CourtU.S. District Court for the District of Nevada (17 filings); UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT (3 filings)
Filings20 public filings
Filed2020-05-28 – 2021-05-13
Document typesorders (4), declarations (2), motions (2), complaint (1), exhibit (1), response or reply (1)
Original PDFs16 of 20

Case summary

Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak, No. 3:20-cv-00303 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, is a suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 brought by a church against the Governor and Attorney General of Nevada and the Sheriff of Lyon County, each in his official capacity. The verified first amended complaint, filed May 28, 2020, brought facial and as-applied First and Fourteenth Amendment challenges to the 50-person attendance limit on indoor services in houses of worship imposed by Emergency Directive 021. On June 11, 2020 the court denied the motions for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction, and on June 19, 2020 it denied an injunction pending appeal. The case ended in a consent decree approved May 13, 2021 that permanently enjoins Nevada from enforcing numerical capacity limits on indoor religious gatherings.

Case at a glance

PartiesPlaintiff Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley; defendants Steve Sisolak, Governor of Nevada, Aaron Ford, Attorney General of Nevada, and Frank Hunewill, Sheriff of Lyon County, each in his official capacity
Court and docketU.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, No. 3:20-cv-00303; the filings carry the judge initials LRH-CLB, RFB-VCF and MMD-CLB at different dates
ProgramNot named in the filings on this page. The subject is Nevada's COVID-19 emergency directives on gathering capacity
ClaimsFree Exercise, Speech and Assembly Clause claims under the First Amendment and a Fourteenth Amendment claim, brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, seeking a declaration that the 50-person limit is unconstitutional facially and as applied, and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief
Disposition or statusSettled by consent decree approved and ordered May 13, 2021, which resolves all claims in the amended complaint and permanently enjoins Nevada from enforcing the capacity limits; Nevada agreed to pay the church's reasonable attorney's fees and costs
Status checked2026-09-23 · against DOJ press releases through 2026-09-22; court docket not yet read

What did the district court decide on the injunction?

It denied the emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and the motion for a preliminary injunction on June 11, 2020, granting leave to file a new motion with more evidence for an as-applied claim, and denied an injunction pending appeal on June 19, 2020.

What does the consent decree do?

It permanently enjoins Nevada from enforcing the numerical capacity limits of Directives 021 and 035 on indoor religious gatherings, and from enforcing a percentage capacity limit less favorable than the highest imposed on casinos, entertainment venues and food and spirits establishments.

How did the case reach that point?

A joint status report of January 5, 2021 records that the Supreme Court was to consider the church's petition for a writ of certiorari on January 8, 2021, that the Ninth Circuit had issued an injunction, and that the parties jointly asked the district court to stay the case pending resolution of the petition.

Summary written from the documents on this page; every sentence is sourced.

Filings

20 public filings from this case, in filing-date order.

  1. Declaration of Pastor Garry D. Leist — Calvary Chapel v. SisolakDeclaration · PDF
  2. Declaration of Counsel Jason D. Guinasso — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)Declaration · PDF
  3. Emergency Motion for TRO and Preliminary InjunctionMotion
  4. Verified First Amended Complaint — Calvary Chapel v. SisolakComplaint
  5. Order Denying Emergency Consideration — Calvary Chapel v. SisolakOrder · PDF
  6. Order Denying Reconsideration of Emergency-Basis Denial — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)Order · PDF
  7. Second Emergency Motion for TRO and PI — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)
  8. Sheriff Hunewill's Limited Joinder to State Opposition — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)PDF
  9. State's Opposition to Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev., 2020-06-02)PDF
  10. Exhibit: Nevada Emergency Directive 021 (Phase Two Reopening Plan) — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)Exhibit · PDF
  11. State's Response to Plaintiff's Supplement BriefPDF
  12. Motion for Leave to File Post-Hearing Supplemental Brief — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)Motion · PDF
  13. Order Denying Emergency Motions for TRO and Preliminary Injunction — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)Order · PDF
  14. State's Opposition to Post-Hearing Supplemental Brief Motion — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev., 2020-06-11)PDF
  15. Sheriff Hunewill's Limited Opposition to Injunction Pending Appeal — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)
  16. State's Opposition to Motion for Injunction Pending Appeal — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)PDF
  17. Plaintiff's Reply in Support of Injunction Pending Appeal —…Response or reply · PDF
  18. Order Denying Motion for Injunction Pending AppealOrder · PDF
  19. Joint Status Report and Proposed Order (Certiorari Pending) — Calvary Chapel v. Sisolak (D. Nev.)PDF
  20. Consent Decree — Calvary Chapel v. SisolakPDF

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

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