Judge blocks city from shutting down softball games at Houston Sportsplex

HOUSTON - Before opening on Friday, May 1 Houston Sportsplex set stringent rules in place amid COVID-19 concerns.

"They instituted every possible social distancing and health safety precaution that they could," said attorney Casey Wallace.

"We went above and beyond the rules the protocol for the CDC," said Houston Sportsplex General Manager Barry Horvitz.

That didn't stop HPD and the Houston Fire Department from storming the place.

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"Scores of officers from the Houston Police Department and the Houston Fire Department showed up to shut them down," Wallace said.

"It was very intimidating throughout the whole night," Horvitz said. "I didn't sleep much that night."

To avoid anyone being arrested Horvitz voluntarily closed down.
"This was about our rights," he said. "They had no warrant no reason to come in here and just intimidate us the way they did."

Horvitz spent thousands in legal fees.

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"Shutting the business down upon the threat of an arrest we believe is unconstitutional and so did Judge Hughes," said Wallace.

Federal Judge Lynn Hughes issued a preliminary injunction.
He ruled the city offended the constitutional restrictions regarding crime specification and a process to contest the arrest.

"Instead the city said you're closed like it or not," Wallace said. "That's what's constitutionally offensive and that's what Judge Hughes found."

"We felt we were right to start with and to this day we still feel we were right and the judge proved we were right," Horvitz said.