Judge to dismiss lawsuit against Clarke County coronavirus ordinance

ATHENS, Ga. - Governor Brian Kemp’s statewide shelter-in-place order rendered all local ordinances ineffective. That includes Athens-Clarke County’s, which was one of the first. 

One Athens gun store owner and his lawyer said Clarke County’s shelter-in-place order violated Second Amendment rights. That’s why they filed a 23-page lawsuit late March.

But with Kemp’s order, the federal judge overseeing the lawsuit will dismiss it. The lawyer representing the gun store Clyde Armory says they are pleased with the outcome.

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“It’s a big win for private citizens. It’s a big win for small business owners in Athens and the state,” said Mo Wiltshire, who also represented two other businesses in the lawsuit. “We feel like our lawsuit helped protect people in Athens from the negative effects of this ad hoc county commission approach.”

Wiltshire says the various county ordinances were confusing to business owners and consumers. He says the statewide order offers more clarity.