A multi-day, high-profile hearing over religious exemptions to West Virginia’s school vaccination laws ended on a cliffhanger.

After two days of testimony in September and two days of testimony this week, Raleigh Circuit Judge Michael Froble informed the court that he would not issue a ruling from the bench at today’s conclusion.

“I don’t believe at this point, I’m ready to make the ruling. I think that would be inappropriate without going back and carefully deliberating your positions,” Froble told the lawyers in the courtroom.

He later specified, “My intent is to make a ruling by the end of November, if not sooner.”

The case remains significant for several reasons.

One is that this week Judge Froble agreed to make it a class action, meaning that other families seeking religious exem

See Full Page