Judge lifts 50-person limit for two New York couple’s weddings

The couples argued that while restaurants could reopen with a limit of 50%, weddings were arbitrarily limited to 50 people.

Sydney Kalich

Updated: Aug 10, 2020 / 09:12 PM CDT

FILE – Wearing latex gloves to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a bride and groom exchange rings during their wedding ceremony at the local Religious Affairs Office in Pamulang, on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia, on June 19, 2020. Now that weddings have slowly cranked up under a patchwork of ever-shifting restrictions, horror stories from vendors are rolling in. Many are desperate to work after the coronavirus put an abrupt end to their incomes and feel compelled to put on their masks, grab their cameras and hope for the best. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, File)

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (News Nation/WSYR) — A federal judge in New York ruled in favor of two couples who challenged the state’s limit on the size of wedding celebrations implemented in the wake of the COVID-10 pandemic response.

In the lawsuit, the two couples said the limit imposed by the state of 50 people at a wedding violated their rights. The couples argued that while restaurants could reopen with a limit of 50%, weddings were arbitrarily limited to 50 people.

On Friday, Judge Glen Sudaby granted the couples’ request for a temporary restraining order preventing the state and local authorities from enforcing a 50-person limit. The case has not yet gone to trial.

The lawsuit contends: “This cap on religious gatherings is enforced despite the fact that
restaurants are explicitly permitted to serve patrons up to 50% of their regular occupancy limits which in medium to larger restaurants can be well over 50 people. In effect, a restaurant with a regular capacity of 200 patrons may be able to serve 100 people on a given night in compliance with the executive orders, but it is arbitrarily limited to serving 50 people if the people are dining there during a wedding.”

The complaint also claims events like the mass protests over the death of George Floyd were not banned by the state.

Suddaby’s restraining order said, “ In holding their weddings, Plaintiffs are required to comply at all times with the relevant health and safety precautions that have been outlined by the State related to the operations of restaurants, including (but not limited to) not having a gathering of individuals that is more than 50-percent of the relevant venue’s capacity.”

Caitlin Girouard, Press Secretary to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded, “The judge’s decision is irresponsible at best, as it would allow for large, non-essential gatherings that endanger public health. We will pursue all available legal remedies immediately and continue defending the policies that have led New York to having — and maintaining — one of the lowest infection rates in the country, while cases continue to rise in dozens of other states.”

The lawsuit was filed by Jenna DiMartile, her fiancé, Justin Crawford, Pamela Giglia and her fiancé Joe Durolek, and wedding officiant David Shamenda.

News Nation affiliate WSYR contributed to this report.