Court Orders New York to Pay Over $817,000 in House of Worship Firearms Ban Case

September 10, 2025

A district court has ordered the State of New York to pay more than $817,000 in attorneys’ fees in resolving a lawsuit that challenged a state ban on possession of firearms in places of worship.

Christianity Daily reports that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York ordered the state to pay $817,636.50 in attorneys’ fees along with $7,166.60 in additional costs.

U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr., authored the ruling, stating that “the facts and circumstances of this case justify granting Plaintiffs’ request in full.”

Sinatra continued, “Indeed, this is the type of rare and important case with broader implications in terms of the state of the law that justify the most highly specialized and highly qualified counsel — irrespective of geography,”

The lawsuit was filed in 2022 by Pastor Micheal Spencer of His Tabernacle Family Church, who challenged the state over a law that restricted firearms in specific areas, including church properties.

The suit was filed after New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, requiring applicants for concealed carry licenses to demonstrate “good moral character” and prohibiting concealed carry in “sensitive locations,” including church sanctuaries.

The pastor and his church filed suit in November 2022 and were represented by First Liberty Institute (FLI), along with the law firms of Clement & Murphy PLLC and Ganguly Brothers PLLC.

According to Christianity Daily, Judge Sinatra ruled against the state and declared that New York’s law infringed upon the U.S. Constitution.

In December 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a comprehensive opinion on four cases challenging the ban, finding in favor of the plaintiffs and concluding, “It’s hard to see how the law advances the interests of religious organizations, as a whole, by denying them agency to choose for themselves whether to permit firearms.”

FLI Senior Counsel Jeremy Dys told the Christian Post, “This decision confirms what Congress intended: if the government violates the civil rights of Americans, you will pay their attorneys.”

Photo: top, Credit: Unsplash/Kyler Nixon