Are you shocked or surprised that this bit of news has received little coverage? Attorney Jeff Childers struck a blow for freedom in Alachua County, Florida. Alachua County is home to Gainesville, which is where the University of Florida is located.
Childers represents Justin Green, owner of a plant nursery, who brought suit last March after Alachua County commissioners passed an order last spring 2020 that required all employees and customers in Alachua to wear masks in businesses. Green lost his initial foray into court, but he appealed.
Jeff Childers, on behalf of Green appealed and the Judges in the First District ruled:
Governmental mask mandates in the 32 counties in the First District of Florida must now be presumed to be unconstitutional after yesterday’s ruling by the First District Court of Appeals (1st DCA) on a lawsuit brought by business owner Justin Green against Alachua County.
The lawsuit was originally filed on May 8, 2020, only days after Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson, then-Chair of the Alachua County Commission, instituted a county-wide mask mandate. Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge Donna Keim denied a request for an emergency injunction on May 21.
Jeff Childers talks about his mask victory with Howie Carr:
This appears to be the first case in the United States where a mask mandate is declared unconstitutional.
You can read the full ruling here.
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