Louisiana Pastor Tony Spell Back in Court, No Charges Filed Yet

CENTRAL, La. — Pastor Tony Spell returned to court Tuesday for a bond review hearing tied to his June arrest on a second-degree battery charge, and more than three months later, he still hasn’t been formally charged.

Spell’s attorney, Jeff Wittenbrink, told the court Tuesday’s hearing was simply a check-in on the case’s status and on Spell’s bond conditions. Prosecutors have not yet billed the case, meaning no formal charge has been filed.

Wittenbrink said the judge set another review for December 7 and indicated that if the case still hasn’t been charged by then, it will come off the court’s review docket entirely, freeing Spell from having to keep appearing for status checks.

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What led to the arrest in June

Spell was arrested after a physical confrontation with his 20-year-old neighbor near Life Tabernacle Church in Central. Surveillance video showed Spell running across the street before the two fought; the footage appeared to show the neighbor swinging first, with Spell pinning him to the ground and striking him several times.

Chris Graythen, Getty Images

Spell has said the fight followed years of friction between his church and the neighboring family, an allegation the neighbor’s father has denied. In July, a judge ordered Spell to keep at least 50 yards away from the neighbor’s home, aside from checking his own mailbox, and barred him from contacting the family.

Supporters travel from out of state to stand with Spell

Dozens of Life Tabernacle congregants packed the courthouse Tuesday, with Spell saying some had traveled from as far as San Antonio and Atlanta to show support. Spell framed the turnout as a matter of protecting the church community, saying men “have no greater duty and obligation to protect our most vulnerable,” a reference to women and children in the congregation.

He renewed his accusation that the neighboring family has harassed people connected to his church over the years, and said his priority going forward is making sure worshippers feel safe at Life Tabernacle, calling the church a “sanctified, safe place.”

A pastor no stranger to legal fights

This isn’t Spell’s first extended run-in with the courts. He became a national flashpoint in 2020 after refusing to stop holding in-person services at Life Tabernacle during Louisiana’s early COVID-19 restrictions, drawing a house-arrest order and a wave of state and national media attention.

That history has kept his name in Louisiana headlines well beyond his own Central congregation.

Spell remains free on bond. Unless prosecutors act sooner, the December 7 review will determine whether the second-degree battery case moves toward formal charges or comes off the court’s docket.

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