EDMONTON

Jailed Alberta pastor has hearing scheduled for Monday

Diego Romero CTVNewsEdmonton.ca Journalist

Published Thursday, March 18, 2021 5:33PM MDT

Pastor James Coates leads a livestreamed service at GraceLife Church, west of Edmonton, on Jan. 31, despite a closure order from Alberta Health Services based on previous public health order violations.

Text:

EDMONTON -- The Alberta pastor in jail for breaching COVID-19 restrictions has a hearing scheduled for Monday.

GraceLife Church pastor James Coates has been at the Edmonton Remand Centre since Feb. 16 and remains charged under the Public Health Act for holding services and ignoring COVID-19 restrictions.

After he was charged, Coates was granted bail as long as he followed conditions, but he did not agree to those conditions.

He appealed those conditions but lost earlier this month.

On Wednesday, his lawyer John Carpay said all but one charge had been dropped and that Coates could be released as soon as Friday.

"We are hopeful that he will finally be released from jail without conditions, and can resume pastoring GraceLife church," Carpay said.

The church has defied a closure order and has been cited for violating COVID-19 restrictions in connection to occupancy, physical distancing and masks.

The hearing is at 9:30 a.m. and Coates' three-day trial is scheduled to begin May 3 in Stony Plain.