BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order which prohibits the city of Mandan from taking further action against the owners of a bar who sued the city to preserve an outdoor mural.
The order temporarily prevents the city from taking any enforcement action against the owners of the Lonesome Dove. The order by Judge Daniel Hovland also prohibits the city from taking steps to remove the mural.
The bar’s owners filed a federal lawsuit to preserve the western-themed mural. The lawsuit claims that the city’s demand to remove the mural or face fines violates the First Amendment.
In March, the Mandan City Commission ordered the Lonesome Dove to remove the mural. The bar first received a citation for the mural in October.
The restraining order is in effect for 14 days. A hearing has been scheduled in U.S. District Court in Bismarck June 5.
The lawsuit is asking for $1.00 in symbolic damages.