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L.A.’s Ban on Outdoor Dining Gets Smacked Down by Local Judge

“Not grounded in science”, said the judge.

One of the most salient complaints regarding this coronavirus crisis has been the patchwork of varying and contradictory regulations put in place by state, local, and national officials regarding the safety of the American people.

A great many US citizens simply wish for the government to butt out of the conversation.  If they are legally allowed to smoke cigarettes or drink to excess, then why should their elected leaders tell them that they must wear a mask for safety?  And, even more incendiary were the suggestions that police could break up holiday gatherings inside of your home should they exceed the arbitrarily-mandated number of guests set forth by our public servants.

We mustn’t forget, either, that these ordinances are wildly varied from state to state, and even town to town.

In Los Angeles, officials announced days ago that they would be banning even outdoor dining in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19.  This did not go over well with a local judge.

A California judge issued a ruling on Tuesday that said Los Angeles County acted “arbitrarily” and without rational justification when it banned outdoor dining late last month, according to reports.

“The Restaurant Closure Order is an abuse of the Department’s emergency powers, is not grounded in science, evidence, or logic, and should be adjudicated to be unenforceable as a matter of law,” wrote Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant in a tentative ruling, according to Politico.

The ruling was seen as a symbolic victory for restaurants and a rebuke to Los Angeles County public health officials hoping to control a recent COVID-19 surge. Chalfant noted that due to the state’s overriding regional stay-at-home order through the Christmas holiday, “outdoor restaurant dining in the county cannot reopen at this time.”

California has been frequently criticized for their allegedly-draconian COVID regulations, with popular podcast host and stand-up comedian Joe Rogan actually moving his operation out of the Golden State on account of the measures.

 

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