The owner of a Warren County billiards hall has been charged with violating the governor’s order for non-essential retail businesses to close.

Rack & Roll Billiard Hall and Museum owner David Merring told a lehighvalleylive.com reporter that Washington Township police officers found an employee shooting pool, and that his business was closed and not open to the public.

But there was another person with the employee who reportedly told officers he did not work for him, Merring said.

On Friday, the Warren County Prosecutor’s office announced Merring was charged with a disorderly persons offense for violating the emergency order. Merring was issued a summons and released pending a future court date.

“I was not open. That’s all I have to say,” Merring said.

In an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy has closed all schools in the state, ordered people to stay at home except for necessary travel, banned social gatherings, and ordered non-essential retail businesses to close until further notice.

Murphy said Wednesday that he plans to keep the restrictions in place for the foreseeable future because lifting them too soon would "only throw gasoline onto the fire.”

Rack & Roll, at 432 Route 31 South, offers billiard playing, lessons and tournaments, as well as sells pool tables. The business has 21 unique, historical tables -- some of which date back to the 1800s, Merring said in a 2017 interview with lehighvalleylive.com.

The hall also offers darts, ping pong, quoits and table-top hockey, among other games.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PURCHASE A BRUNSWICK POOL TABLE FROM RACK & ROLL BILLIARD HALL and MUSEUM! Are your children... Posted by Rack & Roll Billiard Hall and Museum on Sunday, March 15, 2020

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