LONGVIEW, Wash. — A Washington restaurant is on the hook for nearly $1 million in fines for violating the indoor dining ban that was in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An appeals court ruled on August 12 that Stuffy’s II Restaurant in Longview caused significant harm by ignoring the rule and exposing staff to the virus.
The owners owe $936,000 in fines — $18,000 for each of the 52 days they were open.
According to the filing, the owners submitted tax returns indicating that they operated at a loss in 2020.
The court, however, felt that information alone was insufficient to determine whether they could pay the fines.
“A fine is not necessarily excessive because a corporation is unable to pay it,” the ruling states.
The court says that the restaurant owners failed to prove that the fine amount was excessive.
“Duling had ample opportunities to provide additional documentation and deposition testimony to support its contention that it was unable to pay the fine, and it did not do so. Accordingly, this factor does not weigh in favor of a finding of gross disproportionality,” the ruling states.
Then-Governor Jay Inslee issued the emergency proclamation in response to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, saying “a significant risk factor for spreading the virus is prolonged, close contact with an infected person indoors.”
Stuffy’s II was one of a handful of businesses in Washington that received a fine from the Department of Labor and Industries for violating the proclamation. Spiffy’s in Chehalis was fined $67,000 for ignoring the rules.
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