Judge invalidates Oregon lockdown orders, injunction halted by state Supreme Court

The people of the state of Oregon received some great news from a judge on Monday, only to have its benefits placed on hold mere hours later by the state’s supreme court.

Breitbart reported that a Baker County circuit court judge declared Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s (D) lockdown orders “null and void” and imposed an injunction against any further enforcement.

Lockdown orders blocked

The lawsuit against Gov. Brown’s orders had initially been filed by a group of churches who challenged the portion of Brown’s orders that prohibited church services, calling them an unconstitutional violation of the right to freely practice their religion.

That suit was also joined by other businesses and individuals who challenged the order on the grounds that it was causing them unnecessary and unacceptable economic harm.

In a seven-page ruling, Judge Matthew Shirtcliff laid out the statutes from which the governor derived her emergency powers and took note of certain provisions imposing time limitations on those powers absent any sort of further authorization from the state legislature.

In the end, he agreed with the arguments put forward by the plaintiffs on both religious and economic reasons and imposed a temporary injunction on the lockdown orders while also declaring them to be “null and void” and unenforceable.

High court places hold on injunction

As great as that news was for Oregon residents struggling under the burdens imposed by the governor, it was unfortunately rather short-lived. Gov. Brown immediately appealed the decision directly to the state Supreme Court, which, according to The Oregonian, issued a hold on Shirtcliff’s injunction until a full hearing on the matter could be held.

“Following swift action by the Oregon Supreme Court, my emergency orders to protect the health and safety of Oregonians will remain in effect statewide while the court hears arguments in this lawsuit,” the governor said in a statement Monday evening.

“From the beginning of this crisis, I have worked within my authority, using science and data as my guide, heeding the advice of medical experts,” she added.

Outcome uncertain

It remains unclear exactly when the Oregon Supreme Court will hold a full hearing on whether to dismiss the injunction as the governor has demanded or allow it to go into effect and bring an end to the oppressive and arbitrary lockdown orders.

Given the logic behind the judge’s injunction, namely, his belief that churches could easily utilize the same sort of social distancing measures used by grocery stores and other “essential businesses” that are permitted to operate, it seems difficult to imagine how the supreme court could overturn his ruling.

That said, there is never any way to know for sure how courts will rule on anything on the far-left coast, and this fleeting glimpse of victory may be the only bit of freedom Oregonians see for the time being as their indefinite lockdown continues.

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