After issuing 320 citations for COVID-19 public health order violations, the Denver City Attorney’s Office has defeated all challenges against the city in opposition of the orders.

The City Attorney’s Office announced Monday that it has won its first five cases in court, with another three still in progress.

“To give the bad actors a pass would be patently unfair to the thousands of businesses that are following the rules,” said City Attorney Kristin Bronson, “to say nothing of the ongoing risk to the public.”

The five businesses challenging their violations of public health orders who have been defeated are Hobby Lobby, Urban Air Trampoline, Beta Nightclub, Spanky’s Roadhouse and Urban Sombrero.

Douglas County commissioners to consider petitioning state to 'fully reopen' county

Hobby Lobby stores were shut down in April after several locations in the Denver area refused to close during Colorado’s stay-at-home order at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hobby Lobby CEO David Green argued the craft store was an essential business and that God wanted the stores to continue operating, eventually leading to a direct shutdown order from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.

“A reasonable person of ordinary intelligence would have little difficulty interpreting and applying the ordinary terms used in Public Health Order 20-24,” said Denver County Court Judge Chelsea Malone in her ruling against Hobby Lobby.

The Beta Nightclub in Lower Downtown Denver suffered a similar fate in June 2020 after it too refused to close in adherence to the state’s stay-at-home order.

In addition to being forcibly shut down, the nightclub was also cited for not enforcing social distancing or mask-wearing within the business.

State updates COVID restriction metrics again, expands restaurant capacity

Urban Air Trampoline was ticketed in July for violating public health orders, Spanky’s Roadhouse was ticketed in August for employees not wearing masks and Urban Sombrero was ticketed twice in August for employees not wearing masks.

The other businesses currently fighting citations are Zanzibar, Bass Pro Shop and Our Lady of Lourdes, according to the City Attorney’s Office.

Bronson’s team continues to defend the citations issued by the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, which include unlawfully remaining open and ignoring face-covering requirements and capacity limits.

“My office will continue to uphold the rule of law and prosecute these cases,” Bronson said.

As of last week, DDPHE has had 18,591 contacts for violations of COVID-19 public health orders, resulting in 16,804 warnings and 320 citations issued.