A federal judge has upheld Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order that closed movie theaters in New Jersey, finding that the state is not infringing on theaters’ First Amendment rights in its response to the pandemic.
U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti on Tuesday denied a motion for an injunction by the National Association of Theatre Owners on behalf of several chains in New Jersey.
“In closing indoor movie theater operations, (the state is) promoting the significant governmental interest of protecting public health by keeping closed areas that present heightened risks for COVID-19 transmission,” Martinotti wrote in his 33-page opinion.