Finney Law Firm, attorney Curt C. Hartman and the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law won a great victory for Ohio citizens today when Judge Eugene Lucci of Lake County Common Pleas Court ruled unconstitutional the broad rule-making by Governor Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton (Director of Ohio Department of Health) that has shut down Ohio businesses and locked people in their own homes.
The specific ruling today addressed re-opening Ohio gyms and fitness facilities, but the reasoning in the decision broadly finds all of Dr. Acton’s orders are unconstitutional. Read about that here.
Here is a wrap of today’s media coverage of this landmark decision:
- Cincinnati Enquirer: ‘Unreasonable and oppressive:’ Judge slams Dr. Amy Acton in order to reopen gyms
- Cleveland Plain Dealer: Ohio judge: State health department exceeded legal authority in ordering gyms closed
- Toledo Blade: Ohio Senate comes to defense of Dr. Amy Acton; judge earlier rules she overstepped authority
- The News Herald (Mentor): Lake County judge sides with gyms in lawsuit against Ohio Health Director
- Cleveland Scene: Lake County Judge Rules in Favor of Gyms That Sued Ohio Department of Health
- Richland Source: Lake County judge rules Ohio health dept. lockdown orders went too far
- Reason: Ohio Judge Deems the State’s COVID-19 Lockdown ‘Arbitrary, Unreasonable, and Oppressive’
- WLWT (Cincinnati): Gym owner involved in lawsuit against Dr. Amy Acton ‘happy’ to reopen
- Channel 9 (Cincinnati): Ohio gyms can reopen immediately, judge rules
- Local 12 (Cincinnati): Ohio gym owners preparing to reopen after judge’s ruling
- Fox 19 (Cincinnati): Ohio gyms able to reopen now, court ruling states
- News 5 (Cleveland): Lake County Judge issues preliminary injunction against Ohio Dept. of Health for keeping gyms closed
- Fox 8 (Cleveland): Ohio gyms will not be punished for opening early
- ABC 6 (Columbus): Ohio gyms can now open, winning legal battle against state closure orders (with video)
- 700 WLW (Cincinnati): Attorney Curt Hartman appears with Scott Sloan (podcast)
- 700 WLW (Cincinnati): Attorney Maurice Thompson appears with Bill Cunningham
I want to recognize the outstanding legal strategizing and implementation of Maurice Thompson of the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, Curt Hartman, and Julie Gugino and Rebecca L. Simpson of this firm in this case. They did simply outstanding work on a series of cases holding Dr. Acton’s feet to the fire as to her authority (or lack thereof) to shut down businesses and incarcerate residents throughout Ohio during the COVID-19 crisis.
These attorneys have caught the vision of the Finney Law Firm to use our law licenses to “Make a Difference” for our clients and community with our legal work.
