3 business owners file lawsuit to end Oceanfront curfew

Five Oceanfront businesses, including Peabody's, Abbey Road Restaurant and Pub, and three Sweet Frog shops, filed a temporary restraining order in Virginia Beach Circuit Court on Monday to block the enforcement of the city's curfew. The complaint, filed by managers and owners including Bill Dillon and Christos Kyriakides, alleges that the "all-ages imminent threat" curfew, which prohibits people from the Rudee Loop to 31st Street/Laskin Road from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. on three weekend nights in April, has caused severe economic losses. The lawsuit claims the ordinance violates the state Constitution by infringing on freedom of movement and business operations. The city, represented by Mayor Bobby Dyer, City Manager Patrick Duhaney, and Police Chief Paul Neudigate, stated it intends to defend the curfew, which was enacted following recent violent incidents, including a mass shooting on 19th Street and a shootout on 14th Street. The businesses' attorney, Kevin Martingayle, argues that the city failed to justify the curfew's geographic scope and time frame, and that existing laws are sufficient to address public safety threats. A judge will hear the case on Thursday at 11 a.m.

(Source：Daily Press)