Judge denies bar owner temporary exemption to 21-only ordinance

Sixth Judicial Court District Judge Robert Sosalla denied Iowa City bar owner Mike Porter a request for a temporary exemption of the city's 21-only ordinance, which took effect on June 1.

Porter, owner of The Summit, 10 S. Clinton St., was previously denied an exemption from the city ordinance, which was designed to curb underage drinking. If granted the exemption Porter would have been allowed to admit 19 and 20-year-old patrons inside his business after 10 p.m. According to the city code exemptions are granted if a business can show that less than half of its gross yearly sales comes from selling alcohol.

Over the course of the month-long legal challenge Porter claimed that the system used to calculate sales was flawed. Porter also

claimed the ordinance targeted him, because he had been critical of Iowa City Council members.