Temple v. Abercrombie

903 F. Supp. 2d 1024, 2012 WL 5292958, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157950
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedOctober 2, 2012
DocketCiv. No. 11-00790 JMS-KSC
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 903 F. Supp. 2d 1024 (Temple v. Abercrombie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Temple v. Abercrombie, 903 F. Supp. 2d 1024, 2012 WL 5292958, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157950 (D. Haw. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND DISMISSING ACTION

J. MICHAEL SEABRIGHT, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This action challenges the constitutionality of Hawaii’s Civil Unions Law, 2011 Haw. Sess. L. Act 1 (“Act 1”) codified at Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”) Ch. [1027]*1027572B (the “Civil Unions Law”), which became effective on January 1, 2012. Plaintiffs Emmanuel Temple, the House of Praise (“Emmanuel Temple”); Carl E. Harris (“Harris”); Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God; and Joe Hunkin, Jr. (“Hunkin”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”) filed the action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on December 28, 2011, seeking declaratory and prospective injunctive relief to prevent Defendants Neil Abercrombie, in his official capacity as Governor of the State of Hawaii (“Abercrombie”); and Loretta J. Fuddy, in her official capacity as Director of Health of the State of Hawaii (collectively “Defendants”) from “any conduct violating the Plaintiffs (sic) rights[.]” Doc. No. 1, Compl. ¶ 19(b). Plaintiffs’ Complaint primarily alleges that Act 1 is unconstitutional because it does not exempt religious organizations from being subject to Hawaii public accommodations laws “for refusing to rent their facilities for same sex unions and/or marriage ceremonies.” Id. ¶¶ 13-14.

On December 30, 2011, the court denied Plaintiffs’ Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) which sought to prevent Act 1 from being implemented and enforced. See Emmanuel Temple, House of Praise v. Abercrombie, 2011 WL 6935321, at *1 (D.Haw. Dec. 30, 2011). The court denied the Motion for TRO because the action was not justiciable— whether analyzed in terms of standing or ripeness, there was no “case or controversy” as necessary for this court to have jurisdiction to reach the constitutionality of Act 1. Id. at *4. By agreement of the parties, the court subsequently stayed the action while the 2012 Hawaii Legislature considered amendments to the Civil Unions Law. On July 6, 2012, Abercrombie signed Act 267, 2012 Haw. Sess. L. (“Act 267”) relating to Civil Unions. Among other measures, Act 267 amended HRS Ch. 572B to add an exemption for religious organizations that refuse to make facilities available for solemnizing civil unions. Defendants now move to dismiss the action.

Based on the following, the Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED. The current Complaint is moot because Act 267 amended the Civil Unions Law, and the Complaint was not amended to reflect the statutory change. More important, granting leave to amend (to revise the Complaint to challenge the current version of the Civil Unions Law) would be futile because the action would remain nonjusticiable. Whether gauged in relation to the current Complaint or an amended complaint, conditions for justiciability have not changed since the denial of the Motion for TRO. Plaintiffs have not demonstrated that they have standing or that the action is ripe. Accordingly, the action is DISMISSED without prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

Plaintiffs’ Complaint alleges violations of the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. Plaintiffs contend that Act 1 violates the Constitution because Act 1 does not specifically exempt religious organizations from Hawaii’s anti-discrimination laws (e.g., HRS Ch. 489 — Discrimination in Public Accommodations).1 According to the [1028]*1028Complaint, Act 1 and actions by the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission have a “chilling effect on Plaintiffs’ free exercise of religion,” as “Plaintiffs are [or were] immediately subject to the imminent threat of Civil Rights Complaints upon Act 1 taking effect[.]” Doc. No. 1, Compl. ¶ 19.

The Complaint alleges that Emmanuel Temple is a domestic, nonprofit corporation whose purposes are to advance and promote the worship of God; to engage in and promote the study of the Holy Scriptures; and to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. Harris is a Bishop and Pastor of Emmanuel Temple. Likewise, Lighthouse Outreach Center Assembly of God is a domestic, nonprofit corporation whose purposes are to worship the Lord, and to conduct activities such as Sunday school, outreach programs, and day care. Id. ¶ 4.

During the proceedings on the Motion for TRO, Harris provided a declaration dated December 26, 2011 explaining the allegations of harm that Plaintiffs believed they faced at that time. (The court relies on the factual allegations of the Complaint and on the record created during the Motion for TRO proceedings to analyze whether the entire action is justiciable.2) In particular, Harris attested that he opposes Act 1 because same sex marriage and civil unions are against the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Doc. No. 4-1, Harris Decl. ¶¶ 3, 4. He stated that he is aware of instances in “New Jersey, California, and Hawaii” where religious institutions and churches have refused to rent their properties to others for civil unions and receptions, and have thus been subject to civil rights complaints. Id. ¶ 6. No specific details of those instances were provided. He further attested that he was “aware that this year [2011], the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission accepted a complaint from a same sex couple against a church which refused to rent its property for a same sex couple to perform a same sex marriage.” Id. ¶ 7. He stated:

[b]ecause of my stance regarding same-sex unions and marriages, I am under imminent and immediate threat commencing on January 1, 2012 of being [1029]*1029investigated; incurring attorneys fees and costs in defending my religious liberties; being enjoined and fined by the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission for refusing to rent my facilities to same sex couples.

Id. ¶ 8.

Among other provisions, the Civil Unions Law details who may solemnize a civil union. HRS § 572B-4(b), as amended by Act 267, allows judges who may “legally join persons in chapter 572 or a civil union” to solemnize civil unions. It also allows “[a]ny minister, priest, or officer of any religious denomination or society who has been ordained or is authorized to solemnize civil unions according to the usages of such denomination or society, or any religious society not having clergy but providing solemnization in accordance with the rules and customs of that society” to solemnize a civil union. Id. And the Civil Unions Law specifically provides that such authorized persons are not required to solemnize civil unions and are not subject to fines, penalties, or other civil actions if they refuse, for any reason, to join persons in a civil union. HRS § 572B-4(e). The Civil Unions Law thus contains “immunity” from fines, penalties, or civil actions if a pastor, such as Harris, refuses to perform a civil union.

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Bluebook (online)
903 F. Supp. 2d 1024, 2012 WL 5292958, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 157950, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/temple-v-abercrombie-hid-2012.