ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Despite a court order to stop service, Kriner’s Diner remained open Saturday, serving another flood of customers before closing early. The owner of the dinner, Andy Kriner, declined a camera interview on Saturday, but said the day went smoothly. He added that he considered closing the restaurant on Sunday to give his staff a break before reopening on Monday. Kriner said he had not heard from the municipality on Saturday, but at a press conference Friday, City Attorney Kate Vogel raised the possibility of further action if Kriner’s did not follow the judge’s order.
“The court has invited us to seek help from the court if there are additional compliance issues,” she said.
Saturday, the law department did just that. In a statement, Mayor Carolyn Hall’s director of communications wrote ‘we are back in court and requesting a contempt of court hearing. A violation of a court order is an irregular act that results in significant fines. ”
Being held in contempt of court can result in fines like other orders, because the court finds it appropriate if a judge finds her guilty. In this particular instance, the municipality is asking the court to find Kriner’s fines, as well as its two owners, Andy and Norann Kriner, $ 5,000 a day.
“Every day that Kriner’s Diner stays open, defenders have deliberately imposed a $ 600 fine,” the custody reads. “That amount of money is clearly not enough to limit the behavior.”
The motion also calls for separate sanctions against the lawyer defending Kriner’s, Blake Quackenbush. In the submission, the city claims that Quackenbush posted a video from inside Kriner’s on Saturday afternoon to a public Facebook group titled “Americans Protesting Peace in a Historic Sit-in! Morning Sits Are Served.”
“It is equally clear that Blake Quackenbush has deliberately unfaithful to the Order of the Court of Justice and that he has violated with others the violation of the Court of Justice,” the submission said.
She goes on to claim that attorney fees incurred in bringing the motion are insured by the defendants, for a total of $ 1,430.00, and claims that Kriner’s should have stopped eating in service without the Municipality having to file them in. contempt of court.
A hearing has not yet been set up, although the municipality has also submitted for speedy consideration of the motion.
A representative for Quackenbush’s law firm declined to comment for this submission.
Copyright 2020 KTUU. All rights reserved.
.
