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Judge rejects motion to split bar owners' pandemic closure lawsuit into separate phases

When he's ready to serve, Berner pours the alcohol into a cocktail shaker with ice and the other ingredients.
File photo

A Wake County judge has dealt a setback to eastern North Carolina bar owners—including local operators from New Bern and Jacksonville to Greenville—seeking compensation for pandemic-era shutdowns.

Superior Court Judge Edwin Wilson rejected a motion by the North Carolina Bar and Tavern Association to split their lawsuit into separate phases. Down East bar owners—like the team behind New Bern’s Beer Army Burger Company—wanted to lock in the state's liability for financial losses before spending months calculating individual payouts.

The decision comes as state lawyers revealed that a separate, parallel lawsuit—Howell versus Cooper—has been successfully mediated and resolved.

However, the main association lawsuit is moving forward. Attorneys for the eastern North Carolina venues are now pushing to depose former Governor Roy Cooper and former Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen regarding the closure orders.

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.