New York to pay over $817,000 in settlement over church gun ban

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New York to pay over $817,000 in settlement over church gun ban
By Michael Gryboski
Friday, September 05, 2025
Christian Post

A district court has ordered New York to pay over $817,000 in attorneys’ fees to settle a lawsuit against a state ban on people carrying firearms in houses of worship.

In 2022, His Tabernacle Family Church and its pastor, Micheal Spencer, sued the state over a law prohibiting firearms in certain areas, including church properties.

The United States District Court for the Western District of New York issued a decision and order on Tuesday, requiring the state to pay $817,636.50 in attorneys’ fees, plus $7,166.60 in other costs.

U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr., a Trump appointee, authored the order, writing that “the facts and circumstances of this case justify granting Plaintiffs’ request in full.” ...

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More from WETM:

... The release further states that this order is the result of a lawsuit filed on behalf of His Tabernacle in 2022, citing a violation of the church’s First Amendment rights after the state made an unconstitutional attempt to make the church a gun-free zone. The lawsuit notes that this case came after a Supreme Court ruling in a separate case with a focus on both the right to freedom of religion in addition to the right to bear arms. In 2023, a federal appeals court agreed that the law was unconstitutional and placed a temporary block on it.  ...

Court documents may be found HERE