O’Melveny Secures Significant Pro Bono Victory for Anchor Stone Church

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES—April 9, 2025—An O’Melveny pro bono team, along with First Liberty Institute, secured a significant pro bono victory for Anchor Stone Church in its federal lawsuit against the city of Santa Ana, California. 

On April 7, US District Court Judge John W. Holcomb granted Anchor Stone’s motion seeking a preliminary injunction against Santa Ana for refusing to grant the church a permit to use its property for religious assembly. The US Department of Justice joined attorneys for the plaintiff at a hearing last week after filing a statement of interest in support of the motion.

“The First Amendment and federal law protect the right of churches to operate free from unreasonable and intrusive government interference,” O’Melveny partner Timothy Durst said. “The district court judge enjoined the City’s favoritism and discrimination against Anchor Stone Church. It is a good day for Anchor Stone and for religious liberty. O’Melveny considers it a privilege to represent the church and to work with First Liberty on this important matter.”

The O’Melveny team representing Anchor Stone Church was led by Durst and included counsel Nora Salem and Mason Malpass, and associates Jace Breedlove, Grant Gibson, Josh Jilovec, and Sarah Nelson.

US District Court Judge John W. Holcomb’s decision is available here. 

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Contact:

Brandon Jacobsen
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
+1 213 430 8024
bjacobsen@omm.com

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First Liberty Institute issued the following announcement: 

Federal Judge Stops Discriminatory Action Against Chinese- and Taiwanese-American Church

For Immediate Release: 4.8.25

City barred church from using its facility for religious services for two years.

Santa Ana, CA—Late yesterday, United States District Court Judge John W. Holcomb ordered the city of Santa Ana, California to stop its discriminatory actions that for two years prevented Anchor Stone church from using its facilities for religious services. First Liberty Institute and the law firm O’Melveny & Myers represents Anchor Stone. The U.S. Department of Justice joined attorneys for the plaintiff at a recent hearing after filing a statement of interest in support of the motion.

You can read the decision, here.

“The judge made it clear that the city severely burdened Anchor Stone’s ability to engage in religious exercise,” said Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “We applaud today’s ruling that requires the city to follow federal law and treat religious land uses the same as any other.”

“The First Amendment and federal law protect the right of churches to operate free from unreasonable and intrusive government interference,” said Timothy Durst, partner at O’Melveny & Myers. “The district court judge enjoined the City’s favoritism and discrimination against Anchor Stone Church.  It is a good day for Anchor Stone and for religious liberty.  O’Melveny considers it a privilege to represent the church and to work with First Liberty on this important matter.”

In his 30-page opinion, Judge Holcomb said, “the City’s Zoning Ordinance treats religious assembly less favorably than . . . other uses.”  He went on to state that “[t]he City’s stated reasons for denying Anchor Stone’s [conditional use permit] application are . . . either arbitrary or, worse, pretextual.”

Anchor Stone is a Chinese- and Taiwanese-American Christian church that endeavors to spread the gospel to others in Santa Ana and throughout Orange County. Since its inception in 2018, the church has grown from an in-home prayer group to a 50-member congregation needing additional space. With assurance from the city that there would be no obstacles for using the property they intended to purchase for religious assembly, they proceeded with the purchase. It was only after closing on the property that the city rejected Anchor Stone’s CUP. Since the denial, the property sat vacant for two years and the church had been unable to renovate or hold worship services in it.

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About First Liberty Institute

First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.