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In the latest episode of our second season of “TRUTH” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Kennedy interviewed lawyer Ryan Keech about the California Restaurant Association’s case against Los Angeles County over the county’s decision last month to ban outdoor dining.
Kennedy and Keech expressed gratitude to the Honorable James C. Chalfant, who heard the case, referring to him as “courageous” for his decision to overturn the ban.
The ruling is tentative and California’s statewide “stay at home” remains in place. Still, this is a victory against the type of draconian measures being taken by local health authorities around the country, Kennedy said.
Keech said the case could serve as a blueprint for fighting overreaching measures applied not only to restaurants but also other businesses, schools and churches. Kennedy and Keech laid out the following timeline of events leading up to Judge Chalfant’s ruling:
- In June, Los Angeles County health officials ordered restaurants to move all operations outdoors and applied other restrictions such as social distancing.
- In late November, the county changed the order to a ban on outdoor dining, essentially closing restaurants.
- The California Restaurant Association wrote a letter to the Board of Health asking the board to “show us the science.”
- Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to uphold the outdoor dining/restaurant ban.
- Keech’s law firm, Browne George Ross O’Brien Annaguey & Ellis, filed affidavits on behalf of the California Restaurant Association emphasizing that there was no science supporting outdoor dining as a significant spreader of COVID-19.
- Judge Chalfant issued a strongly worded ruling on Dec. 8, calling the county’s actions an abuse of power.
All “Truth” episodes can be found on Children’s Health Defense’s social media, and on Children’s Health Defense’s channel found on Peeps TV, a network on Roku. Roku is accessible from any Smart TV and can be purchased separately for older TVs.
