(Editor’s Note: After this story was published, a city of Roseville spokesperson provided us with the following statement:

“This is a very complex situation evolving over several years. At its heart, this is a zoning issue. It is completely inaccurate to characterize the City of Roseville as banning dancing. No individual has ever been arrested, including Mr. Travis, for violating the dance ordinance. Mr. Travis’ arrest was the result of an altogether different situation. From the beginning of this, the City of Roseville has simply reacted to numerous citizen complaints about activities at The Station.”)

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — A Roseville business owner is suing the city for false arrest in a battle over the city’s dance permit ordinance.

Roseville Station owner Len Travis was jailed in 2012 for a misdemeanor violation of Roseville’s city dance permit ordinance, all because he allowed his customers to dance.

His restaurant sits outside of a specially zoned entertainment district, which the city says means no dancing inside.

But a judge overruled the citations, and the city lost its appeal.

The city claimed in 2008 that it sent a notice informing the property owner that it had lost the ability to operate under a legal, nonconforming status since the operation of a nightclub violated Roseville Municipal Code.

But now Travis is suing the city for false arrest.

From the lawsuit: “The defendants by arresting Mr. Travis without a warrant and without probable cause or reasonable suspension and then by confining him did falsely arrest and imprison him.”

Travis’ lawyer Jeff Kravitz says the city is going a step further in claims against the city.

“In Roseville, they don’t like freedom.”

He contends the city’s stance on dancing is anti-American.

“Why do people believe that in a free society, that in a restaurant, the owner of the restaurant cannot make a decision to allow people to dance to music being played on the radio? he said.

In the meantime, Travis says there will be dancing.

The city of Roseville opted not to comment on this story.

[display-posts tag=”roseville” wrapper=”ul” posts_per_page=”6″]