Spokane County Superior Court Judge Timothy B. Fennessy issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the church from demonstrating outside the Planned Parenthood facility. In his decision, Fennessy said that “reasonable minds can only reach one conclusion, that Covenant Church intends to interfere with access to or safe and effective delivery of health care services provided by Planned Parenthood.”
Covenant Church is known for running a group called "The Church at Planned Parenthood." It held worship services and protested abortion on a stretch of grass near the Spokane, Washington Planned Parenthood facility. Judge Fennessy's ruling prohibits the group from gathering on that grass, the sidewalk, or anywhere within 35 feet of the building. The group is further prohibited from making noise between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Ken Peters, the director of the Church at Planned Parenthood, told The Spokesman-Review that he will comply with the injunction for the time being. “Even though we feel like the judge is unconstitutional, do we want to pick this battle right now? And I think that, at this moment, no, until I get some more legal advice and pray about it, I don’t want to defy this order.”
