PHOENIX — An Arizona pastor whose at-home worship services and Bible studies regularly drew as many as 80 people has been sentenced to 60 days in jail, ordered to pay a $12,180 fine and given three years of probation.
In a decision upheld on appeal, the Maricopa County Superior Court found Michael Salman guilty of 67 building code violations. Salman contends the case is about religious freedom.
Phoenix city officials said the case centers on compliance with zoning and building code laws designed to protect the public. After he was ordered to host no more than 12 worshipers at a time at his home, Salman gained in 2008 a building permit to attach a 2,000-square-foot private game room to his home but began using the room as Harvest Christian Fellowship Community Church, according to a fact sheet posted on the city’s website. The usage
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