San Joaquin: Episcopal dispute sent back to Fresno Co. court

Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010
The Fresno Bee Share

The appellate justices who will decide whether the U.S. Episcopal Church or the breakaway Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin owns the diocese's church properties on Wednesday appeared uncertain about the court's authority to rule on the issue.

"We are involved in a very confusing question of power of the church versus power of the court," said 5th District Court of Appeal Justice Dennis Cornell, who repeatedly compared the schism between the two church groups to the Civil War.

Justice James Ardaiz also acknowledged the case was "confusing." the rest

A.S. Haley: Translating the Appellate Decision in the San Joaquin Case

...In short, 815's strategy of claiming the property of a departing Diocese because it is somehow "hierarchical" today went down to defeat in Fresno. How the Presiding Bishop and her attorneys react to this decision will speak volumes for their intentions to keep relying on that strategy to win cases in the secular courts.