Tag: hearing

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James MacDonald (Who Claims He Beat up a 59-year-Old Woman Because Julie Roys Gave Him PTSD) Has Mental Health Hearing Delayed

Last week a California judge postponed disgraced former Harvest Church pastor James MacDonald’s mental health hearing, pushing it back until June 4 to give more time to the prosecution to get their own mental health expert to examine MacDonald, as well as for the defense to present their treatment plan for dealing with MacDonald’s alleged PTSD, which they were supposed to have given on February 28 but never did. 

Macdonald was arrested last year and charged with felony battery and assault after attacking a 59-year-old woman in a road rage incident that put her in the hospital for 21 days. A judge later ruled that despite the seriousness of her injuries, MacDonald was eligible for a mental health diversion. An MHD is a program in California where residents suffering from mental health disorders and facing criminal charges may complete treatment to avoid jail time. If a mental health diversion is denied, MacDonald faces up to seven years in prison.

During his last hearing, MacDonald’s attorney highlighted the testimony of two doctors who said he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2020 and 2023. They claim the PTSD he suffered from resulted from being written about and trolled by Julie Roys of the Roys Report, which then caused him to attack the other motorist in self-defense. According to testimony from clinical psychologist Dr Anderson, the doctor who diagnosed him:

“Once the woman in the car in front of him got out of the car and moved towards him in an angry and agitated state, the years of traumatic memories of being vilified by Julie Roys rushed back to him and triggered a flight or fight response. Feeling powerless and misunderstood and essentially trapped in his truck, he got out of the vehicle to fight back against his accuser.”

His lawyer explained it this way:

The anger manifestations that pastor McDonald showed on that particular day,  the anxiousness,  the anxiety,  the pits of anger,  all are consistent with her diagnosis of PTSD as well as supported by the previous diagnosis…

He was a 63-year-old man.  Has no record,  no criminal history…he’s had no instance of violence,  no instance of any type of criminal history,  no substance abuse,  no domestic violence,  nothing.

…He was the head of a pastor for a very,  very large congregation. Between 15,000 people a week would attend the congregation.  He was active on YouTube.  He had three or four million people watching his ministries. He’s established many non-profit organizations and charitable organizations in support of individuals who are victims of domestic violence as well as substance abuse.  

…So he’s basically done everything right.  He’s never been in any trouble at all….All of the things that I’m talking about before were taken away from him as a result of some underhanded dealing with other church members. As we’ve shown in our papers here,  there was some really bad reporting that went on as well as some internet trolling that went on which undermines his ministry,  not to mention his mental health. As a result of the lawsuits and the constant harassing that he gets from the internet, he developed the symptoms that we have seen here today.  

In turn, the prosecutors asked the court to deny the defendant’s motion for mental health diversion, saying that while MacDonald was diagnosed by the defense expert with PTSD (and not their expert), they do not believe that it was a factor in the assault, sounding very skeptical that his PTSD was the result of trolling by his critics who were upset at MacDonald’s own behavior.

Prosecutors also pointed out that MacDonald has attended treatment several times in the past, and that these were treatments were “unsuccessful,” making him an exceedingly poor candidate for a diversion program,

If it’s determined that he is, all charges are dismissed and the records sealed, though MacDonald will likely still be subject to a civil suit for the battery.

Macdonald’s was officially terminated by the elder board of Harvest Bible Church in November of 2019 following a messy, public separation filled with lawsuits and name-calling. The elder board previously declared the money-grubbing guzzler to be so not above reproach, that they raked him over the coals sixty ways to Sunday, explaining in the following open letter all the ways MacDonald failed to be qualified for the pastorate.

  1. Above Reproach (Titus 1:6)–“To be above reproach is to have a reputation for being blameless and honorable.” The accusations against James are of great quantity and continue to be brought forward. His character should have been such that this magnitude of accusations would not have been believable. But sadly, James’ reputation does not defend his character. Instead, his reputation affirms many of the accusations against him as plausible.
  2. Respectable (1 Timothy 3:2)–The antithesis of being respectable is to be disruptive. We found that James had a pattern of being disruptive in public and private settings at the expense of other people’s well-being.
  3. Upright (Titus 1:8)–We found that James failed to meet the standard of dealing with others fairly and honorably. At times, he misrepresented gifts paid for by the church as gifts from him personally.
  4. Not Arrogant or Violent (Titus 1:7)–James’ behavior and language indicated that he thought of himself more highly than he should as evidenced by his pattern of insulting, belittling and verbally bullying others.
  5. Not Quick-Tempered or Quarrelsome (Titus 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:3)–We found James had a pattern of quickly becoming angry, manifesting itself in unmerited force and frequency. James’ behavior was of that of a combative person who insisted on his own ways and failed to cultivate peace.
  6. Not Domineering (1 Peter 5:3)–We found that James had a pattern of improperly exercising his positional and spiritual authority over others to his own advantage.
  7. Not Greedy for Gain or A Lover of Money (Titus 1:7; 1 Timothy 3:3)–We found that James made repeated efforts to profit himself beyond what was honorable. There was a pattern of extravagant spending utilizing church resources resulting in personal benefit.
  8. Disciplined (Titus 1:8)–James failed to keep his emotions under control. The failure is not in the dynamic range of his personality, but in the lack of self-discipline, which an Elder should display in a bridled tongue and sound speech.
  9. Self-Controlled and Sober-Minded (Titus 1:8; 1 Timothy 3:2)–We found that James had a pattern of acting on sudden impulses with insufficient deference to wise but differing views. In some of the most crucial moments where James needed to be calm and cautiously wise, he was hasty and reckless.

    MacDonald was living the high life prior to being ousted, giving Brian and Bobbie Houston of Hillsong a run for their money. MacDonald was likely rolling around naked each night in his Scrooge McDuckian Money Bin, reveling in the filthy lucre he was amassing and spending as if it were candy.
    Since leaving Harvest, MacDonald has been keeping busy as an itinerant preacher, running his Home Church Network, and appearing on TBN with Kirk Cameron.
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Evangelical Stuff Featured In-person Church Righteous Defiance

Breaking! Pastor James Coates Release Delayed…and not Guaranteed

The family of James Coates and congregants of GraceLife Church will have to wait a bit longer to see their beloved spouse, father, and pastor, with news that James’ hearing won’t be until Monday morning the 22nd at 9:30am, rather than sometime Friday morning, which many had hoped.

The news comes from wife Erin, who likewise explained that even though the JCCF hoped he would be released early after the prosecution agreed to drop the conditions, that there was no guarantee of his release.

We wrote about this earlier, explaining that with this resolution in hand, the case will go before a judge on Monday, where the prosecutor and defense will submit a joint submission.

While it’s highly likely that the judge will accept it, it is important to note that it’s not guaranteed or a foregone conclusion. While it would be very rare, it is not without precedent that the judge could refuse to accept the joint submission and keep James incarcerated until his trial in May, or until he accepts the conditions that prohibit him from stepping foot on church property. Alberta still considers itself in the midst of a public health crisis, and the judge may be immovable.

His release is not a forgone conclusion. Please continue to keep the Coates family in your prayers.

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News

Breaking! Pastor James Coates Loses Hearing: To Spend 2 Months in Prison

Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church lost his bid to have the bail conditions of his release altered during a hearing today, ensuring that unless he agrees to not step foot on Church property and not fulfill his pastoral duties at the church, or the crown prosecutor drops the conditions, he will remain incarcerated until his May 3 trial.

Despite the setback, there will be an appeal, though that could take up to two weeks to be heard.

Justice Michalyshyn told both parties that he prepared a written decision, which will be publicly available on the court’s website later this afternoon.

According to a statement by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, Justice Centre President, lawyer John Carpay slammed the continued incarceration of Coates, describing it as a “miscarriage of justice.”

Charter freedoms do not disappear because the government declares regular Church services to be outlawed while allowing hundreds of people to fill their local Walmart. Pastor Coates is not a criminal. He held church services and should not spend the next eight or more weeks in jail when he has not committed any crime.

Ironically…it was Jason Kenney, then federal Immigration Minister, who stood at the side of Stephen Harper in February 2013, as the Government announced the creation of the Office of Religious Freedom, to promote freedom of religion around the world. But apparently not in Alberta.

A trial set eight weeks down the road is too long for an innocent Pastor to be in jail. Pastor Coates is a peaceful Christian minister. The Justice of the Peace should not have required him to violate his conscience and effectively stop pastoring his church as a condition to be released. This is a miscarriage of justice.

This is a developing story.

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Church In-person Church Righteous Defiance

What Exactly Happened at James Coates’ Hearing?

Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church had a hearing today to determine whether or not he’s spending the next two months in prison for the crime of being a faithful shepherd, with the judge hearing both submissions and then ruling Friday morning in the case that has garnered international attention and has highlighted Alberta’s tyrannical and schizophrenic coronavirus shutdown restrictions.

The hearing was to determine whether or not the conditions of James’ release might be modified or removed, as presently he will only be allowed to leave prison unless he promises to not step back on Church property again. The hearing was live-streamed on WebEx and was attended by nearly 450 people, many that failed to mute their microphone upon entry into the channel, causing frequent interruptions and chatter throughout, at one point causing both lawyers some difficulty hearing and needing to pause until the disruptions were muted.

Along with the online viewers, there were dozens of supporters gathered outside the Edmonton courthouse, protesting and praying for a favorable result.

The judge in the case, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Peter Michalyshyn, noted that Coates did not want a publication ban on the affair, an unusual move as they are normally imposed on bail hearings.

In contrast, the prosecutor requested that she not be mentioned by name and rather simply by her title, on account of her personal safety and “some security [issues] that have arisen on this matter,” an unusual request, which was granted.

Though each lawyer was given 10 minutes to speak and argue their case, the entire hearing lasted not much more than minutes. With all their arguments already submitted, Coates’s lawyer, James Kitchen with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, spoke the bulk of the time and the prosecutor chimed in for less than a minute.

Responding to the Crown’s contention that there is a substantial likelihood of danger to the public if Coates were released, Kitchen retorted that since the church has been opened at near capacity since July and there have been no outbreaks or superspreader events linked to his congregation, that this is substantial proof that Coates is no danger to Albertans. “He’s not going to hurt anybody, the only thing that will happen is he holds church again.”

Kitchen said it should be determined whether Coates’s charter rights are being violated before he is jailed, remarking: “We are putting the cart before the horse, doing things backwards.” Further, even if he was convicted of what he’s accused of, it wouldn’t even be a jailable offense, so why would it be a jailable offense now?

While the Crown was saying that it would undermine the justice system if they were to release Coates without what amounts to a restraining order from his church, prohibiting him from pastoring his flock, Kitchen described that as completely inverted.

He said that for normal people, it is the incarceration of a Christian minister that undermines the justice system, not the other way around, explaining, “Imposing upon a pastor the condition of his release that he not pastor…that is an embarrassment to the courts,” as well as “a stain on the administration of justice.”

Kitchen told the judge that the undertaking Coates was asked to sign was a violation of his religious beliefs. He said his client didn’t sign the undertaking because of a basic “inability to agree to the condition of release that was imposed upon him,” and that Coates ought to be released without condition.

This is a matter of deep-seeded personal conscience and religious beliefs for Pastor Coates. He is unable to disobey the God he believes in. He is compelled to obey…as [are] his congregants.

As for the Crown, since most of what Kitchen was speaking against were previous submissions, she was generally inactive throughout the affair. She made a short submission saying the original justice of the peace made no errors, and again that releasing him would be a danger to the public, saying, “The one condition that was imposed is directly related to the behaviors that come under the prohibition of the Public Health Act orders.”

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Breaking Church Featured News

Breaking! Pastor James Coates Trial set for May 3

Update #1. Friday the 26th has been confirmed for the conditions hearing. If the conditions are not waived, he will spend the next three months in prison.

Pastor James Coates’ trial has been scheduled for May 3rd before Stony Plain provincial court judge Charles Gardner, according to a decision handed down today. Coates did not appear in person in the courtroom as the date of the three-day trial was announced.

The next phase of the case will see Coates having a hearing to determine whether or not his conditions of release will be lifted. The current conditions prohibit him from stepping back onto church property, effectively handing him a restraining order against the church he pastors at and the flock he leads. He has so far not consented to these tyrannical impositions, resulting in more than a week in prison.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, “John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, the organization representing Coates, said lawyer James Kitchen plans to file an application with the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench seeking the pastor’s release until the trial begins.”

Absent a bid to have the conditions of his release overturned, this ensures that unless he agrees to them at this point, or the crown prosecutor chooses to lay them aside, then the Gracelife Church pastor will remain incarcerated until the summer.

His lawyer, James Kitchen from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms was hoping for the early date, while the Crown wanted the trial in late June. With the May 3-5 date set, this means he will like spend nearly three months incarcerated.

Furthermore, with the church still choosing to remain open past the 15% capacity allowed under the shutdown, Gracelife is still firmly in the crosshairs of the Alberta Health Services who are seeking to shut them down and discontinue their gathering.

As a result, further Sunday services may result in the Associate Pastor being fined or likewise arrested. Or law enforcement officials will begin handing out $1200 fines to any congregants who step foot on Church property, with even another possibility that they will simply physically bar anyone from attending services and stepping on Church property.

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Edmonton Remand Center, the maximum-security prison where Coates is being kept, worshiping the Lord, praying, and rallying either for his release or for the supposedly devout Roman Catholic Premier of Alberta, Jason Kenny, revise his strict lockdown rules imposed on Churches and let the pastors of the province open up their churches.

This past Sunday, Pastor John MacArthur who is the Chancellor and Professor of Pastoral Ministry at The Master’s Seminary, the school where James Coates graduated from years ago, publicly prayed for him and his congregation, as well as released a statement of support on him.

This is a developing story….