A Protestant church in California has won a court appeal against more than $200,000 in fines that were imposed because the church violated state and country restrictions on public meetings during the Covid lockdown.

Calvary Chapel San Jose had been held in contempt for violating the rules. But the appeals court found that the ban on indoor religious services violated religious freedom. The court noted that the restrictions on churches were more stringent than lockdown rules for other institutions such as grocery stores.