Pa. Federal Judge Refuses to Stay Order Deeming Numeric Limitations on Gatherings Unconstitutional

PITTSBURGH — A Pennsylvania federal judge has refused to stay his decision that certain government orders limiting how many people may gather in one place are unconstitutional, concluding that Governor Tom Wolf has failed to show that he will succeed on the merits of the First Amendment issue in his planned appeal of the ruling.

On Sept. 22, Judge William S. Stickman IV of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania concluded that his ruling “is in concert with the line of cases that recognize, on one hand, the authority of public officials to limit gatherings …