South Pasadena pub owner faces charge after opening business during lock down

South Pasadena pub owner faces charge after opening business during lock down

by Ruby Gonzales

A Lake View Terrace man faces a court hearing in September for opening his Irish pub in South Pasadena on St. Patrick’s Day during the lock down to deter the spread of COVID-19.

Joseph Patrick Griffin, 56, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday at Alhambra Superior Court on a misdemeanor count of violating the Los Angeles County health officer’s order.

But the judge continued the arraignment to Sept. 17, said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. During arraignments, defendants can make pleas.

Grifffin, who was charged on June 10, faces a possible maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine if convicted, Santiago said.

On March 17, Griffins of Kinsale on Mission Street opened its doors, served customers and had live entertainment, Santiago said.

“Reportedly, there were dozens of customers both inside and outside,” he said.

The county health order, which was issued March 16, prohibited the gathering of 50 or more people within a confined space, limited restaurants to serving food via delivery, take-out or drive-thru and closed certain businesses such as gyms, bars, bowling alleys and movie theaters.

The same day, South Pasadena announced it was closing bars, entertainment venues, gyms and stopping dine-in services for local restaurants.

Griffin couldn’t be reached for comment on Thursday.

South Pasadena police received calls about the business being open, Chief Joe Ortiz said, adding that police went to Griffins of Kinsale three or four times that day.

Ortiz and a lieutenant headed to the pub around 11 a.m. Ortiz said he met with the bar owner and gave him a copy of the county health order.

“We were just looking for compliance,” he said.

The chief later reached out to L.A. County Public Health, which sent a representative who documented the incident, he said.

Police told Griffin he couldn’t be open, the chief said. On the last time police showed up, Griffin was cited for violating the county health order.

 

 

 

All credit goes to Ruby Gonzales Originally published on https://www.dailynews.com