Defending Religious Freedom: The Singularism Case
Defending Religious Freedom: The Singularism Case
Jensen v. Utah CountyU.S. District Court for the District of Utah, No. 2:24-cv-00887 · Tenth Circuit, No. 25-4115September 6, 2023Ceremonial ribbon cutting and opening.Singularism opens its spiritual center in Provo with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, one of its own ceremonies.September 8, 2023Singularism invites officials to see its practice.Bridger Lee Jensen writes to Provo's mayor, and Singularism's legal counsel writes to the Provo Police Department and City Council. The letters explain the church's practices, invite officials to tour the center, and offer to resolve any concerns before they arise. On November 3, 2023, counsel writes to the Utah County Attorney's Office as well.For more than a year, Singularism operates peacefully, without incidents, emergencies or problems. The city never responds to its letters.November 11, 2024Provo police raid the center.Officers seize scriptures and about 450 grams of psilocybin from a locked safe. Two days later, police ask Singularism's landlord to evict the church.November 19, 2024Singularism sues.The case is filed in Utah's Fourth District Court. The defendants move it to federal court on November 27.December 13, 2024A landmark hearing and order.On Friday the 13th, after a full-day evidentiary hearing in which Singularism's witnesses are cross-examined, Judge Jill N. Parrish grants a temporary restraining order requiring the return of Singularism's psilocybin and scriptures.December 18, 2024Criminal charges and a flurry of filings.Five days after the order, the state files criminal charges against Bridger. The same day, the county asks the court to put the return of the sacrament on hold, which the court temporarily grants. Two days later, the county seeks sweeping expedited discovery, which the court denies on January 7, 2025."…the intrusive, offensive questioning from Defendants' counsel during the December 13 hearing and the vastly overbroad expedited discovery requests…"— Judge Jill N. Parrish, August 4, 2025 orderFebruary 20, 2025Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects Singularism.Judge Parrish grants a preliminary injunction under Utah's RFRA. It orders the seized items returned a second time and bars officials from interfering with Singularism's sincere religious use of psilocybin while the case continues. The court affirms that Singularism's beliefs are both sincere and religious."The court has no difficulty concluding that Plaintiffs are sincere in their beliefs and that those beliefs are religious in nature."— Judge Jill N. Parrish"It must apply its protections equally to unpopular or unfamiliar religious groups as to popular or familiar ones."— Judge Jill N. ParrishAugust 4, 2025The court refuses to dismiss the case and halts the prosecution.Judge Parrish denies the motion to dismiss, finding a substantial burden on Singularism's religious exercise, and grants an anti-suit injunction halting the state criminal case against Bridger until the federal case is decided.August 29, 2025Utah County and Provo appeal to the Tenth Circuit.They appeal the order pausing the prosecution and the First Amendment ruling.They do not appeal the RFRA injunction. Singularism's protection under Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act stands.December 4, 2025The trial court pauses the case during the appeal.Judge Parrish stays the federal case until the Tenth Circuit decides the appeal. The RFRA injunction protecting Singularism's religious practice remains in place.February 19, 2026Fellow advocates file briefs supporting Singularism.Two amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs are accepted by the Tenth Circuit in support of Singularism: one from the Church of Direct Experience, and one from psychedelic law attorneys Deja Correia and Natalie Koski-Karell, founding members of the Psychedelic Bar Association.April 20, 2026The Supreme Court agrees to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy.The Supreme Court agrees to review the Tenth Circuit's decision in St. Mary, which set the restrictive test for comparing religious and secular exemptions that would later be applied to Singularism. Argument is set for November 3, 2026.May 12, 2026The Tenth Circuit hears the appeal.Attorney Tanner J. Bean argues for Singularism before Judges Bacharach, Ebel and Federico at the Byron White U.S. Courthouse in Denver.October 5, 2026The Tenth Circuit rules.The appeals court held that the federal court should not have paused the state prosecution, and it rejected one of Singularism's First Amendment arguments. Our protection under Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act still stands: the state never appealed it, and the court expressed "no opinion on the validity of the preliminary injunction." The remaining First Amendment question and our RFRA claims return to Judge Parrish.October 15, 2026 LATESTSingularism asks the full Tenth Circuit to rehear the case.Singularism files a petition for rehearing en banc, asking all of the court's active judges to reconsider the panel's First Amendment ruling, or at the very least to hold the petition until the Supreme Court decides St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy.October 21, 2026 UPCOMINGPress conference on the case.Bridger Lee Jensen, attorney Tanner J. Bean and other attorneys discuss the case and what comes next. 5:30 PM Mountain (4:30 Pacific, 6:30 Central, 7:30 Eastern), livestreamed online.What's nextThe full Tenth Circuit will decide whether to rehear the case. Singularism's protection under Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act remains in force. The Supreme Court is already reviewing a similar Tenth Circuit approach in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, and Singularism is ready to take its case there if needed.
Jensen v. Utah County
U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, No. 2:24-cv-00887 · Tenth Circuit, No. 25-4115
September 6, 2023
Ceremonial ribbon cutting and opening.
Singularism opens its spiritual center in Provo with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, one of its own ceremonies.
September 8, 2023
Singularism invites officials to see its practice.
Bridger Lee Jensen writes to Provo's mayor, and Singularism's legal counsel writes to the Provo Police Department and City Council. The letters explain the church's practices, invite officials to tour the center, and offer to resolve any concerns before they arise. On November 3, 2023, counsel writes to the Utah County Attorney's Office as well.
For more than a year, Singularism operates peacefully, without incidents, emergencies or problems. The city never responds to its letters.
November 11, 2024
Provo police raid the center.
Officers seize scriptures and about 450 grams of psilocybin from a locked safe. Two days later, police ask Singularism's landlord to evict the church.
November 19, 2024
Singularism sues.
The case is filed in Utah's Fourth District Court. The defendants move it to federal court on November 27.
December 13, 2024
A landmark hearing and order.
On Friday the 13th, after a full-day evidentiary hearing in which Singularism's witnesses are cross-examined, Judge Jill N. Parrish grants a temporary restraining order requiring the return of Singularism's psilocybin and scriptures.
December 18, 2024
Criminal charges and a flurry of filings.
Five days after the order, the state files criminal charges against Bridger. The same day, the county asks the court to put the return of the sacrament on hold, which the court temporarily grants. Two days later, the county seeks sweeping expedited discovery, which the court denies on January 7, 2025.
"…the intrusive, offensive questioning from Defendants' counsel during the December 13 hearing and the vastly overbroad expedited discovery requests…"
— Judge Jill N. Parrish, August 4, 2025 order
February 20, 2025
Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects Singularism.
Judge Parrish grants a preliminary injunction under Utah's RFRA. It orders the seized items returned a second time and bars officials from interfering with Singularism's sincere religious use of psilocybin while the case continues. The court affirms that Singularism's beliefs are both sincere and religious.
"The court has no difficulty concluding that Plaintiffs are sincere in their beliefs and that those beliefs are religious in nature."
— Judge Jill N. Parrish
"It must apply its protections equally to unpopular or unfamiliar religious groups as to popular or familiar ones."
— Judge Jill N. Parrish
August 4, 2025
The court refuses to dismiss the case and halts the prosecution.
Judge Parrish denies the motion to dismiss, finding a substantial burden on Singularism's religious exercise, and grants an anti-suit injunction halting the state criminal case against Bridger until the federal case is decided.
August 29, 2025
Utah County and Provo appeal to the Tenth Circuit.
They appeal the order pausing the prosecution and the First Amendment ruling.
They do not appeal the RFRA injunction. Singularism's protection under Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act stands.
December 4, 2025
The trial court pauses the case during the appeal.
Judge Parrish stays the federal case until the Tenth Circuit decides the appeal. The RFRA injunction protecting Singularism's religious practice remains in place.
February 19, 2026
Fellow advocates file briefs supporting Singularism.
Two amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs are accepted by the Tenth Circuit in support of Singularism: one from the Church of Direct Experience, and one from psychedelic law attorneys Deja Correia and Natalie Koski-Karell, founding members of the Psychedelic Bar Association.
April 20, 2026
The Supreme Court agrees to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy.
The Supreme Court agrees to review the Tenth Circuit's decision in St. Mary, which set the restrictive test for comparing religious and secular exemptions that would later be applied to Singularism. Argument is set for November 3, 2026.
May 12, 2026
The Tenth Circuit hears the appeal.
Attorney Tanner J. Bean argues for Singularism before Judges Bacharach, Ebel and Federico at the Byron White U.S. Courthouse in Denver.
October 5, 2026
The Tenth Circuit rules.
The appeals court held that the federal court should not have paused the state prosecution, and it rejected one of Singularism's First Amendment arguments. Our protection under Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act still stands: the state never appealed it, and the court expressed "no opinion on the validity of the preliminary injunction." The remaining First Amendment question and our RFRA claims return to Judge Parrish.
October 15, 2026 LATEST
Singularism asks the full Tenth Circuit to rehear the case.
Singularism files a petition for rehearing en banc, asking all of the court's active judges to reconsider the panel's First Amendment ruling, or at the very least to hold the petition until the Supreme Court decides St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy.
October 21, 2026 UPCOMING
Press conference on the case.
Bridger Lee Jensen, attorney Tanner J. Bean and other attorneys discuss the case and what comes next. 5:30 PM Mountain (4:30 Pacific, 6:30 Central, 7:30 Eastern), livestreamed online.
What's next
The full Tenth Circuit will decide whether to rehear the case. Singularism's protection under Utah's Religious Freedom Restoration Act remains in force. The Supreme Court is already reviewing a similar Tenth Circuit approach in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, and Singularism is ready to take its case there if needed.