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Page Number: 6

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ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROOKLYN v. CUOMO 

Per Curiam 

examination of the need for such a drastic measure. 

The  dissenting  opinions  argue  that  we  should  withhold
relief  because  the  relevant  circumstances  have  now 
changed.  After the applicants asked this Court for relief, 
the Governor reclassified the areas in question from orange
to yellow, and this change means that the applicants may 
hold services at 50% of their maximum occupancy.  The dis-
sents would deny relief at this time but allow the Diocese 
and  Agudath  Israel  to  renew  their  requests  if  this  recent
reclassification is reversed. 

There  is  no  justification  for  that  proposed  course  of  ac-
tion.  It is clear that this matter is not moot.  See Federal 
Election Comm’n v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., 551 U. S. 
449, 462 (2007); Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Envi-
ronmental Services (TOC), Inc., 528 U. S. 167, 189 (2000). 
And  injunctive  relief  is  still  called  for  because  the  appli-
cants remain under a constant threat that the area in ques-
tion will be reclassified as red or orange.  See, e.g., Susan 
B. Anthony List v. Driehaus, 573 U. S. 149, 158 (2014).  The 
Governor regularly changes the classification of particular
areas without prior notice.3  If that occurs again, the reclas-
sification  will  almost  certainly  bar  individuals  in  the  af-
fected area from attending services before judicial relief can
be obtained.  At most Catholic churches, Mass is celebrated 
daily, and “Orthodox Jews pray in [Agudath Israel’s] syna-
gogues every day.”  Application in No. 20A90, at 4.  Moreo-
ver,  if  reclassification  occurs  late  in  a  week,  as  has  hap-
pened in the past, there may not be time for applicants to
seek and obtain relief from this Court before another Sab-
bath passes.  Thirteen days have gone by since the Diocese
filed its application, and Agudath Israel’s application was 
filed over a week ago.  While we could presumably act more 
—————— 

3 Recent changes were made on the following dates: Monday, Novem-
ber 23; Thursday, November 19; Wednesday, November 18; Wednesday,
November  11;  Monday,  November  9;  Friday,  November  6;  Wednesday,
October 28; Wednesday, October 21.