Court waives $38K in ArriveCan fines on Amish

A provincial court has waived more than $38,000 in outstanding fines on Ontario Amish who were convicted in absentia during the Covid pandemic, and faced loss of their homes and farms. for not using the controversial ArriveCan app.

TDF secures new victory for Amish: over $38,000 in fines waived | The Democracy Fund (news release):

June 05, 2025 - "The Democracy Fund (TDF) has achieved a significant legal victory for a group of Amish individuals convicted under the Quarantine Act for failure to complete the ArriveCan app. Following a May 22, 2025 court appearance, seven months of negotiations and numerous court appearances, TDF lawyers successfully had the group’s convictions set aside, resulting in over $38,000 in fines being waived.

"The Amish community, known for their traditional lifestyle and faith-based avoidance of modern technology, faced legal challenges after crossing the border at Niagara Falls. Their inability to use smartphones or interact with modern technology made it almost impossible to comply with the strict and continually-shifting COVID-19 regulations, particularly requirements involving the ArriveCan app. TDF took the position that the Amish did not receive proper notice of the offences, trial or conviction. They were convicted in absentia, and subsequently fined over $38,000. However, with the assistance of TDF, their cases were reopened, and through persistent advocacy, the convictions were ultimately set aside with fines being waived.

"For these Amish families, who depend on farming and community support, the prospect of paying such excessive fines was daunting. This resolution ensures that these legal entanglements do not threaten their livelihoods and properties.

"TDF Litigation Director Mark Joseph stated, 'This outcome is a testament to the importance of access to justice for all Canadians, regardless of their background or way of life. We are pleased that these families can now move forward without the burden of these oppressive fines. The Amish are extremely grateful for the support they've received from TDF donors.'

"While this case has been resolved, TDF continues to advocate for other members of the Amish community and other Canadians facing similar challenges with the legal system. The organization remains committed to defending constitutional rights and ensuring that all individuals receive fair treatment.

Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education, and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education and supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic."

Read more: https://www.thedemocracyfund.ca/tdf_secures_new_victory_for_amish

Ontario judge reopens Amish ArriveCan cases

The Democracy Fund has convinced an Ontario court to reopen the cases of five Amish fined for crossing the Canada-U.S. border without using the Trudeau government's controversial ArriveCan app.  

Court reopens Amish tickets: TDF lawyers secure significant legal victory | The Democracy Fund (news release):

October 09, 2024 - ""The Democracy Fund (TDF) has successfully reopened a number of ArriveCan tickets for five Amish clients. These individuals received tickets in 2021 and 2022 for allegedly failing to complete the ArriveCan app but had not received any notification of court dates or convictions, leading to outstanding fines being sent to collections and, in some cases, liens placed against their family farms. 

"These individuals, due to their faith, avoid modern technology. They do not use any form of electricity and have little to no experience using a telephone, much less navigating an app on a modern smartphone.

"TDF recently filed documents with the court seeking to have these tickets reopened. The court has now granted this request, which will allow the clients to receive a Notice of Trial and, eventually, set a trial date. Adam Blake-Gallipeau, Senior Litigation Counsel at TDF, remarked{:} 

It was clear that these clients did not receive adequate information regarding their tickets. The Amish are a vulnerable religious minority and have limited engagement with modern legal systems. In cases where their properties have liens registered on title, it makes it difficult to obtain loans or to transfer farms to the next generation. We are pleased that the tickets have been reopened and look forward to arguing our case in court.

"TDF lawyers will now request and review disclosure, engage with Crown counsel, and, if necessary, proceed to trial. Although this is an initial victory, the real work of having these tick[:ets stayed, withdrawn or resolved at trial now begins. TDF has a number of additional Amish clients who require help and have since learned that there may be other Amish communities impacted by outstanding liens and fines. We're committed to advocating for the rights of the Amish and ensuring they receive fair treatment.

"If you'd like to support the Amish community in their fight, please consider making a tax-deductible donation on this page.

https://www.thedemocracyfund.ca/court_reopens_amish_tickets_tdf_secure_legal_victory

"Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education, and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education and supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic."

Trudeau Liberals take aim at peaceful Amish community over ArriveCan compliance | Rebel News | September 26, 2024:

Amish fined for not downloading ArriveCan app

Members of the Amish community in Chatsworth, Ontario (who do not use electricity or smartphones) have been hit with almost $400,000 in fines for not downloading the Canadian government's ArriveCan app.  

Amish community fined $400,000 for failing to download ArriveCan app | Rebel News 

August 15, 2024 - "In the serene countryside of Chatsworth, a community of Amish farmers lives as if in the 18th century, adhering strictly to their faith and traditions. Their simple way of life — without electricity, telephones, or the internet — sets them apart from the rest of the modern world. Yet, this peaceful community is now grappling with a problem no one would have expected.... 

"The problem began with the Canadian government's enforcement of the ArriveCan app during the COVID-19 pandemic. This app was mandatory for anyone entering Canada, requiring travellers to submit their health information digitally. The Amish, however, do not use smartphones, let alone apps. They also have religious exemptions from vaccinations, making the use of such technology unnecessary and intrusive for them. Yet, despite these clear exemptions, the government insisted on compliance, leading to severe penalties....

"The Amish community in Chatsworth has been slapped with nearly $400,000 in fines for not using the ArriveCan app. This is a community that doesn’t use electricity, let alone digital applications. The fines were not just a bureaucratic oversight — they were a targeted action. The government even went so far as to place liens on their properties, effectively freezing their ability to obtain loans and transfer land titles within families. 

"These punitive measures have left the Amish community in a state of shock and despair. Imagine being a farmer in need of a loan to buy cattle, only to be told that your property has a lien on it because of fines related to an app you cannot even use.

"This situation is not just an attack on the Amish economy; it’s a direct assault on their religious freedoms. The government’s actions have created an uneven playing field, where a community that lives without modern conveniences is being punished for not participating in a digital system....  

"Fortunately, The Democracy Fund has stepped in. They’ve begun taking up the cases of these Amish families, working to overturn the unjust fines and remove the liens placed on their properties. However, the road ahead is long and fraught with challenges, especially given the unique nature of the Amish community’s way of life.

"The Amish may not fight back themselves — they are pacifists by nature — but they have welcomed the help of others who see the injustice in what’s happening. This is not just a fight for the Amish; it’s a fight for religious freedom and the right to live according to one’s beliefs without government interference."

Read more: https://www.rebelnews.com/amish_community_under_attack_over_digital_mandates_they_didnt_know_existed

Amish community fined $400,000 for failing to download ArriveCan app | Rebel News | August 15, 2024:

PA Amish community may have herd immunity

Amish community may have reached COVID ‘herd immunity,’ health official says | New York Post - Jackie Salo:

March 28, 2021 - "An Amish community in Pennsylvania may have become the first group in the US to achieve herd immunity, a local health official claims. The administrator of a medical center in the heart of Lancaster County’s New Holland Borough, which is known for its Amish and Mennonite communities, estimates that as many as 90 percent of the religious families have had at least one family member infected with the virus. 

"'So, you would think if COVID was as contagious as they say, it would go through like a tsunami; and it did,' said Allen Hoover, an administrator of the Parochial Medical Center, which caters to the religious community and has 33,000 patients.

"The Amish and Mennonite groups initially complied with stay-at-home orders at the beginning of the pandemic — shuttering schoolhouses and canceling church services. But by late April, they had resumed worship services, where they shared communion cups and holy kisses, a church greeting among believers. 

"Soon after, the virus tore throughout the religious enclave.... In late April and early May, the county’s positivity rate for COVID-19 tests exceeded 20 percent, according to nonprofit Covid Act Now. But Hoover said that it’s impossible to know the full extent of the virus outbreak since he estimates that fewer than 10 percent of patients displaying symptoms consented to being tested. 

"The medical center saw on average nearly a dozen infections a day, or around 15 percent of the patients it serves daily, Hoover said.

"While infections ebbed through the summer, before picking up again in the fall, Hoover said new cases are now far and few in between. The center hasn’t had a patient present with virus symptoms in roughly six weeks, Hoover said.

"But some experts are more skeptical that a large outbreak has led to widespread immunity in the community. Eric Lofgren, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Washington State University, said herd immunity is possible but rare. 'The key is that there is not necessarily a magic number,' said David Dowdy, a professor in the epidemiology department at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"Previous infections also might not be enough to protect against new variants of the virus, some experts have warned."

Read more: https://nypost.com/2021/03/28/amish-group-could-reach-covid-herd-immunity-health-official/

LP POTUS candidates go negative on Amash

Libertarian Presidential Candidates Prefer Each Other Over Justin Amash – Reason.com - Matt Welch:

July 15, 2019 "Saturday night just outside of Boston, at one of the first L.P. presidential debates this cycle, ... I was moderating, and had just asked the assembled candidates — [Kim] Ruff, Arvin Vohra, Adam Kokesh, New Hampshire State Rep. Max Abramson, and Dan 'Taxation Is Theft' Behrman — whether they would support Amash.... Vohra, then Kokesh, then Behrman, each said that they would support everyone on stage before the newly independent libertarian congressman. And even the two other comparative moderates were critical of his potential candidacy.

"'We aren't Republican light; we're not Democrat light,' said Ruff, an Arizona-based manufacturer.... 'We're advocates of full, unencumbered liberty. And that means taking positions that make the public squeamish.... I don't see somebody who is personally conservative being comfortable saying, "Yeah, I think we should legalize all narcotics. I think sex work is work. I think that you should have body autonomy. And if that means you want to end your life or ask a friend to do it for you, you should have that right." So no, I don't think he would be a great candidate for us. He's got a lot to learn.'

"Vohra ... dismissed the idea that Amash's defection from the GOP represents any kind of bravery. 'It does not take courage to speak out against a president that is unpopular with more than half the population,' said Vohra.... 'We don't need somebody who's ... just pandering to a large group of people who believe that the orange man is bad.... I would support any of the people sitting here in a second — in a second — over Justin Amash, because they have shown real boldness, not just pandering. They have been willing to say things that are true, honest, and unpopular, and that to me is the true measure of leadership.'

"Kokesh ... portrayed it as a referendum on institutional self-confidence. 'We cannot elect or nominate a former Republican…for the fourth cycle in a row. I just think that would set the party back so far,' Kokesh said.... 'Gary Johnson was better than [2008 nominee] Bob Barr, and Justin Amash might be that much better than Gary Johnson even. It's the worst temptation we've ever seen from this vector. But it's the most important time to resist it'....

"Even Abramson, the only elected official of the bunch (and he was elected as a Republican ... before ... switching back to the party he ran for governor in 2016 with), lamented the 'Republican savior' complex..... 'We have our own message. We're a different party. We're not Republican light, we're not cheap Democrats, we're something completely different. We want a free society'....

"'We need to be doing this now,' said Behrman.... 'And if Justin Amash is busy doing something else that he can't commit to this.... Let him stay where he is, do what he's doing; let him choose his own path. But we need to put our support behind myself and these other great candidates so we can start getting this message out and start getting people to see our faces'....

"The decision by potential contenders to go negative on Amash ... makes all the sense in the world from an incentives point of view. They're running to win, and there is pent-up grassroots Libertarian frustration at the tendency for their presidential nominations to be handed to temporary Libertarians like Bob Barr rather than longtime activists such as Mary Ruwart. (Indeed, Ruwart was singled out for praise by three of the five candidates on stage.)

"As for Amash, he has little incentive to make any premature declaration about running for president. The first major-party primaries are seven months away, and God only knows what American politics will look like then."

Read more: https://reason.com/2019/07/15/libertarian-presidential-candidates-prefer-each-other-over-justin-amash/
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