Hundreds in Spokane Area & Thousands State-wide Impacted. Legal Team Planning Next Steps
Thomas O. Rice, a Federal Judge appointed by President Barak Obama in 2011, presiding in the Eastern District of Washington State denied both temporary and injunctive relief after hearing arguments in Wise v Inslee, a case seeking relief for employees of multiple state and local government agencies who are unfairly targeted in Governor Inslee’s Vaccine Mandate Proclamation, applied for religious or medical exemption and have either been terminated for refusal to accept the vaccine or were vaccinated under duress and against either their firmly held religious beliefs or at risk due to a known medical condition. From my perspective, I’m not a lawyer just a citizen sitting in the courtroom, Judge Rice’s ruling claimed it is a fundamental and legally enforceable responsibility for the INDIVIDUAL to take the vaccine even if it risks harm to the INDIVIDUAL to protect OTHERS from becoming infected. Judge Rice appeared to believe the vaccinated can’t spread COVID, and there is sufficient case law asserting an individual’s First Amendment Right protecting Religious Freedom doesn’t apply when unelected public health officials declare a medical crisis. An Amicus Brief in support of the Plaintiff’s case submitted by a nationally renowned medical expert appeared to have no influence in the Judge’s decision. Lawyers for the Plaintiffs will continue this critical fight to protect our Constitutional freedoms regardless of vaccine status and are planning next steps.