A Winnebago bar owner was rightfully charged for violating a pandemic “executive order” and a law regulating the hours and days liquor may be sold.
“I’m disappointed, but not surprised because of the way things have been going from the get-go,” says David Schuster. “I followed what I was told to a T.”
In a 24-page ruling, Faribault County District Court Judge Troy Timmerman cited numerous case law precedents to find probable cause for the charges.
Now, that means Schuster’s fate will be decided by a jury trial and be in the hands of six or 12 jurors.
“I could have settled this with a plea agreement, but I told my attorney ‘no’,” he says. “I did nothing wrong and I stand behind that.”
Schuster, owner of Schooter’s Bar, is accused of having his bar open and serving customers on Sunday, March 22, after Gov. Tim Walz ordered bars to close due to the coronavirus outbreak.
He also reportedly violated a state law that no on-sale establishment shall sell intoxicating liquor on a licensed premise after 1:00 a.m. on Sundays.
Each charge is a misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a fine of $1,000. He also could have his liquor license revoked or suspended.
Dates to hold the trial have not yet been determined.