Contempt charges against a Calgary pastor arrested in front of his children for breaking lockdown restrictions have been dropped, says the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms..The JCCF said the Alberta Health Services have said they will not be proceeding with the charges against pastor Tim Stephens, of the Fairview Baptist Church..JCCF lawyers Leighton B.U. Grey Q.C. and James S. M. Kitchen, brought an Application to Strike the Contempt Application after discovering AHS never served Stephens with the court order he was accused of having violated..“Faced with this undeniable evidence, AHS has conceded that continued prosecution and attempts to have Pastor Stephens found in contempt of court are hopeless. This drops the case against Pastor Stephens completely,” said the JCCF in a release..On May 16, Stephens became the third Alberta pastor sent to jail for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules..Pastor James Coates, of the GraceLife Church, outside Edmonton, spent a month in jail after he was arrested by the RCMP for breaking lockdown regulations repeatedly. His case is still before the courts..Pastor Art Pawlowski was arrested in Calgary for continuing to flout the regulations at his street chruch..Stephens was imprisoned in the Calgary Remand Centre for 3 days before JCCF lawyers could secure his release..“The arrest and confinement of Pastor Stephens was unlawful for two reasons. First, the Thursday, May 6, 2021 injunction, which originally applied to all Albertans who had notice of its terms, was amended by Associate Chief Justice Rooke on May 13 to only apply to Whistle Stop Café and individuals operating in concert with or under the direction of Whistle Stop Café or its proprietor. Pastor Stephens has no connection to either party.,” said the JCCF..“Second, Pastor Stephens was never served with a copy of the court injunction, a prerequisite for the enforcement of an injunction. On May 9, 2021, Calgary Police Service (CPS) officers erroneously served a copy of the injunction upon another individual who is not Pastor Stephens. At no time did CPS ever serve the injunction upon Pastor Stephens..“CPS confirmed their error. In consequence, AHS lawyers agreed to the discontinuance of the case against Pastor Stephens.”.Stephens has been ticketed several times for allegedly breaching Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s public health orders. The JCCF still represents him on these outstanding allegations..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
