Alibi Drinkery Found To Be In Contempt Of Court, Fined $3,000 A Day
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A Lakeville bar which has reopened multiple times, defying COVID-19 restrictions, was found to be in contempt of court on Thursday afternoon.
According to court documents, Alibi Drinkery will be fined $3,000 a day that they open for indoor dining.
The bar originally opened its doors on Dec. 15, when the state was in the middle of four-weeks of restrictions on indoor dining. Bars and restaurants had been forced to go take-out only.
On Dec. 18, Attorney General Keith Ellison sued the bar, and the court issued a temporary restraining order. After a hearing on Dec. 23, the court issued a temporary injunction.
However, that did not stop owner Lisa Zarza. Alibi advertised on their Facebook page that they would be open on New Year's Eve. Patrons were seen eating and drinking in the bar on Jan. 2, and that same day, the bar wrote "Enjoy the final game fo the season with Alibi" on their Facebook page, referencing Jan. 3's Viking's game. They were found in violation of the order again on Jan. 4.
Mike Padden, Zarza's lawyer, says he intends to appeal.
"My client will continue to vigorously litigate the State's attempt to secure a permanent injunction, and we will appeal the Court's orders, orders that are the result of false, misleading data submitted by the State, data we look forward to further scrutinizing in the litigation process," Padden said.