Judge: California Can’t Force Restaurants in County to Shut Down

Patrons dine at an outdoor restaurant along 5th Avenue in The Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego, Calif., in a July 17, 2020, file photograph. Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images

A judge in California ruled on Thursday that California officials cannot force restaurants to shut down, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil ruled earlier this week that two strip clubs could stay open despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strict orders that prompted county officials to try to force closures.