Appeals Court delivers partial victory to bar owners who sued over COVID shutdown
Bar owners who sued Gov. Roy Cooper for shutting them down during the COVID-19 pandemic have won a partial victory at the state Court of Appeals. A unanimous appellate panel agreed the governor had violated bar owners’ rights to the fruits of their labor and equal protection of the laws. At the same time, the Appeals Court rejected the bar owners’ argument that the shutdown amounted to an unconstitutional taking of their property.