ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A St. Louis County gym owner who is refusing to close his doors amid stay-at-home orders could be facing jail time, according to his attorney.
Chris McDonough, who is representing House of Pain and its owner Joe Corbett, says his client faces fines and up to a year in prison for disobeying the County's order to keep his doors closed.
McDonough says it's "ludicrous" that smoke shops and liquor stores across St. Louis County have remained open throughout the pandemic, but gyms such as his client's business have been forced to close.
"Cigarettes we know for a fact kill almost 500,000 people in the U.S. alone every year. COVID-19 by comparison has killed about a quarter of a million people world wide," McDonough says. "So why does it make sense for cigarette stores, and vaping stores, and liquor stores, and adult novelty product stores ... to stay open in St. Louis County, but a gym, which actually, safely helps people maintain a healthy weight, you know obesity is a big problem if you get COVID-19, is not essential enough to stay open. It's ridiculous."
You can listen to the full conversation he had with Marc Cox of our partner station, 97.1 FM Talk here:
The County gave Corbett until 5 p.m. on Sunday to close his Chesterfield and Maryland Heights gyms. He stated in a video posted on Sunday that he will be not be closing.
"We feel that this is definitely an overreach (by the government)," Corbett says. "And we feel like they're ruling with a heavy hand here, and we're doing what we feel is right for small business, and right for our members and for the people that we serve."
According to the gym's website, they opened on May 4 and have remained oper every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
County Executive Sam Page said Monday morning "well see what the courts do," when asked what he plans to do about the defiant gym.