A judge in Ashland County has made his ruling in a mask mandate lawsuit.

Cattlemans Restaurant in Savannah is suing the county health department because the department suspended their food service license because they refused to wear masks.

An Ashland County Common Pleas Court judge officially sided with the restaurant this week, allowing it to operate without requiring masks.

The judge ruled that Governor DeWine, through the Ohio Department of Health, has no legal authority to issue or enforce mask mandates.

DeWine’s office said it can’t comment on ongoing litigation but pointed to a moment in one of the governor’s recent COVID-19 updates ( audio below) in which he talked about the effectiveness of masks in preventing the spread of the virus.