Supreme Court of California

In a property dispute arising after a parish disaffiliated itself from the Episcopal Church after the national church ordained an openly gay man as a bishop, a court of appeals decision reversing a ruling in favor of parish defendants is affirmed where: 1) the action was not subject to a special motion to strike under Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 (anti-SLAPP); and 2) on the merits and applying a "neutral principles of law" approach, the higher church authorities and not the parish defendants own the disputed property.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/05/2009
• Published 01/05/2009

Judges

• CHIN, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Holme Roberts & Owen, John R. Shiner, Los Angeles, Brent E. Rychener, Colorado Springs, CO;  Horvitz & Levy, Frederic D. Cohen and Jeremy B. Rosen, Encino, for Plaintiffs and Appellants Jane Hyde Rasmussen, The Right Rev. Robert M. Anderson, The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles and The Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles., Law Offices of George S. Burns, George S. Burns, Kathryn M. Schwertfeger and John C. Ashby, Newport Beach, for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii and the Presbytery of Hanmi as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiffs and Appellants Jane Hyde Rasmussen, The Right Rev. Robert M. Anderson, The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Los Angeles and The Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles., Goodwin Procter, David Booth Beers, Heather H. Anderson, Jeffrey David Skinner, Washington, DC, and Matthew J. Wilshire, for Intervener and Appellant The Episcopal Church., Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Christopher J. Cox and Douglas E. Lumish, Redwood Shores, for Clifton Kirkpatrick, Joey Mills, Katherine J. Runyeon, Rev. Joseph Lee, Elder John Lococo, General Council on Finance and Administration of the United Methodist Church, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, Christian and Missionary Alliance, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and Worldwide Church of God as Amici Curiae on behalf of Intervener and Appellant The Episcopal Church., Law Offices of Tony J. Tanke and Tony J. Tanke, for Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Intervener and Appellant The Episcopal Church.


• For Appellees:
  
• Payne & Fears, Eric C. Sohlgren, Benjamin A. Nix, Daniel F. Lula, Irvine;  Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland and Robert A. Olson, Los Angeles, for Defendants and Respondents Rev. Praveen Bunyan, Rev. Richard A. Menees, Rev. M. Kathleen Adams, The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Parish in Newport Beach, California, James Dale, Barbara Hettinga, Paul Stanley, Cal Trent, John McLaughlin, Penny Reveley, Mike Thompson, Jill Austin, Eric Evans, Frank Daniels, Cobb Grantham and Julia Houten., Lu T. Nguyen, for The Charismatic Episcopal Church as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents Rev. Praveen Bunyan, Rev. Richard A. Menees, Rev. M. Kathleen Adams, The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Parish in Newport Beach, California, James Dale, Barbara Hettinga, Paul Stanley, Cal Trent, John McLaughlin, Penny Reveley, Mike Thompson, Jill Austin, Eric Evans, Frank Daniels, Cobb Grantham and Julia Houten., Law Offices of Lynn E. Moyer, Lynn E. Moyer;  Law Office of Kent M. Bridwell and Kent M. Bridwell, Los Angeles, for Rev. Jose Poch et al., and Rev. William A. Thompson et al., as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents Rev. Praveen Bunyan, Rev. Richard A. Menees, Rev. M. Kathleen Adams, The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Parish in Newport Beach, California, James Dale, Barbara Hettinga, Paul Stanley, Cal Trent, John McLaughlin, Penny Reveley, Mike Thompson, Jill Austin, Eric Evans, Frank Daniels, Cobb Grantham and Julia Houten., Law Offices of Penner, Bradley & Buettner, Randall M. Penner, Fresno;  Mayer Brown, Donald Falk, Palo Alto, and Eugene Volokh, Los Angeles, for The Presbyterian Lay Committee as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents Rev. Praveen Bunyan, Rev. Richard A. Menees, Rev. M. Kathleen Adams, The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Parish in Newport Beach, California, James Dale, Barbara Hettinga, Paul Stanley, Cal Trent, John McLaughlin, Penny Reveley, Mike Thompson, Jill Austin, Eric Evans, Frank Daniels, Cobb Grantham and Julia Houten., Kenneth W. Starr, Los Angeles;  and Robert F. Cochran, Jr., Crescent City, for Iglesia Evangelica Latina, Inc., Juan A. Reyes, Aida Haydee Reyes, Ahuner Portillo, Audias J. Portillo, Baldemar Contreras, Benjamin Carranza, Camilo Encina, Christian Sical, Edwin Perez, Edwing Morales, Enrique Luna, Esbin Portillo, Beltran Fermin, Francisco Fuentes, Carlos G. Garcia, Henry Portillo, Jose Campos, Jose Alfredo Jiminez, Misael Portillo, Nelson Sosa, Noe Carias, Roberto Estrada, Jonathan Evangelista, Saul Cifuentes, Victor Jacobo, Bildad Coin, Jose Ruben Reyes, Alex Reyes, Jose Antonio Menjivar, Amado Morroquin, Epifanio Zepeda and Jose Luz Araujo as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents Rev. Praveen Bunyan, Rev. Richard A. Menees, Rev. M. Kathleen Adams, The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Parish in Newport Beach, California, James Dale, Barbara Hettinga, Paul Stanley, Cal Trent, John McLaughlin, Penny Reveley, Mike Thompson, Jill Austin, Eric Evans, Frank Daniels, Cobb Grantham and Julia Houten., Wild, Carter & Tipton and Russell G. Vanrozeboom, Fresno, for The Diocese of San Joaquin as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents Rev. Praveen Bunyan, Rev. Richard A. Menees, Rev. M. Kathleen Adams, The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Parish in Newport Beach, California, James Dale, Barbara Hettinga, Paul Stanley, Cal Trent, John McLaughlin, Penny Reveley, Mike Thompson, Jill Austin, Eric Evans, Frank Daniels, Cobb Grantham and Julia Houten., Allan E. Wilion, for Thomas Lee and Rev. Peter Min as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendants and Respondents Rev. Praveen Bunyan, Rev. Richard A. Menees, Rev. M. Kathleen Adams, The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. James Parish in Newport Beach, California, James Dale, Barbara Hettinga, Paul Stanley, Cal Trent, John McLaughlin, Penny Reveley, Mike Thompson, Jill Austin, Eric Evans, Frank Daniels, Cobb Grantham and Julia Houten.