Saying that a lower court judge “plainly encouraged” an appeal, a Northwest Florida attorney is disputing that his decision to continue pursuing a case against Gov. Ron DeSantis over COVID-19 beach closures was frivolous or in bad faith.

Santa Rosa Beach attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, who filed the lawsuit this spring to try to force DeSantis to close beaches statewide to prevent the spread of the disease, responded Friday to an order by the First District Court of Appeal to show why he and his lawyers should not face sanctions for pursuing the appeal.