▁regardless ▁of ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁flesh ▁or ▁blood ▁of ▁the ▁animal ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁consum ed .” ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁council ▁ex empt ed ▁Kos her ▁sla ugh ter h ouses , ▁regular ▁sla ugh ter h ouses , ▁hunting , ▁fish ing , ▁p est ▁ex termin ation , ▁e uth anas ia ▁of ▁st ray ▁animals , ▁and ▁feed ing ▁live ▁rabb its ▁to ▁grey h ounds . ▁ ▁The ▁Church ▁su ed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁District ▁Court ▁for ▁the ▁Southern ▁District ▁of ▁Florida . ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁U . S . ▁District ▁Judge ▁Eug ene ▁P . ▁Sp ell man ▁granted ▁absolute ▁imm unity ▁to ▁the ▁individual ▁city ▁council ▁members ▁and ▁the ▁mayor . ▁ ▁On ▁October ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁after ▁a ▁nine - day ▁ben ch ▁trial , ▁Judge ▁Sp ell man ▁granted ▁summary ▁judgment ▁to ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁Ele vent h ▁Circ uit ▁aff ir med ▁in ▁an ▁unsigned ▁one - paragraph ▁per ▁cur iam ▁decision , ▁where ▁it ▁noted ▁that ▁Judge ▁Sp ell man ▁" emp loy ed ▁an ▁arg u ably ▁str ic ter ▁standard " ▁than ▁that ▁applied ▁in ▁Emp loyment ▁Division ▁v . ▁Smith ▁( 1 9 9 0 ), ▁which ▁had ▁in ▁the ▁inter im ▁found ▁Native ▁Americans ▁could ▁be ▁fired ▁for ▁their ▁rit ual ▁use ▁of