A Dallas salon owner will spend a week in jail that has 248 inmates with coronavirus. She’s also being fined $7,000 and another $500 a day despite the fact that Governor Abbott announced shortly before she opened that salons and barbershops could open.
She opened in violation of contempt of court order Tuesday so the judge found against her.
The owner Shelley Luther was taken into custody immediately as if she was a common criminal.
Ms. Luther put all social distancing guidelines in place with 6 feet between stations, hand sanitizing stations are in place, and everyone has masks.
She explained that she couldn’t feed her family and her employees couldn’t either but the judge didn’t care.
In a hearing broadcast live on YouTube on Tuesday, Luther said she had no choice but to open her business.
She said she hadn’t earned income since the county’s stay-at-home order was set in March. She applied for one of the federal loans aimed at helping small businesses but didn’t receive it until Sunday, she testified.
SHE COULDN’T FEED HER FAMILY
“I couldn’t feed my family, and my stylists couldn’t feed their families,” Luther testified, holding a phone to her face from the witness stand so the court reporter could hear her through a mask.
Before issuing his ruling, Judge Moyé gave Luther an opportunity to apologize and promise not to reopen her salon until she was allowed to do so, saying he would consider levying only a fine “in lieu of the incarceration which you’ve demonstrated that you have so clearly earned.”
Luther, however, defended her actions to the very end.
“Feeding my kids is not selfish,” she told Moyé. “If you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision, but I am not going to shut the salon.”
Minutes earlier, Gov. Greg Abbott had announced during a news conference that barbershops and salons across Texas could reopen Friday.
These edicts from the mini-dictators are not laws. The judge did not have to put her in prison or fine her. The judge must be a Democrat, the caring party.
Senator Cruz weighed in:
7 days in jail for cutting hair?? This is NUTS. And government officials don’t get to order citizens to apologize to them for daring to earn a living. https://t.co/3rulRlN0gE
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 6, 2020
Just reading some of the comments in the Ted Cruz twitter feed (and quite frankly almost all the other feeds I have seen recently) is extremely disturbing. So many sheep have been conditioned to accept complete control of their lives by the government.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6bC9w9cH-M
Greg, have you ever sued anybody, or better yet, have you ever sued anybody in the Judiciary? I’m quite certain the answer to that would be no because if you had, you would understand the futility of your comments. You certainly are entitled to your opinion and while holding the court accountable in a lawsuit sounds good on the surface… Read more »
The point still is: What’s the alternative. And yes, there have been plenty of lawsuits where awards have been granted. And this case could qualify for damages. What the hell, is this woman suppose to sit in jail and do nothing. That’s what some of the comments seem to be suggesting. All too often we find more people bitching about… Read more »
Greg the Lawyer, Yep. You are a lawyer. A statist to boot. Your continuous reference for me of Waco and other .gov murders, of American Citizens, is simply your attempt to discredit any effort to rein in the corruption of the scum of government. You like to ignore that which challenges your abysmal rhetoric. Did not a organized militia stand… Read more »
Geez, you’re an idiot jerk. It’s the difference between someone who would fight the government legitimately, or one who thinks they live in the 1700’s. You’re such a big man, go, take your lead and go after that judge. Put your lead where your mouth is. What the hell do you think the point of Waco was. These cases weren’t… Read more »
Greg the Lawyer, I do not have to tell you what I have done to oppose the scum of government. One extensive effort I made I explained here. Of course, you ignore this. Making your disparaging remark against the men who stood on Lexington Green on 19 April 1775 is indicative of your disregards for the history that birthed this… Read more »
You STILL are unable to comprehend the point of the comparison to the Revolution. I don’t know if I can put it in simplest enough terms for you to understand, but here goes. At that time the sides were fairly equal in arms, And, as a result they were able to succeed. Considering the amount and type of weapons the… Read more »
Greg, I was replying to your comment about filing a lawsuit and expecting a judge to ultimately be held criminally responsible. That happens only on the rarest of occasions. Regardless of your disagreements with Dan III, I happen to know this man and he did put his money where his mouth is challenging the powers that be only to have… Read more »
It would be a civil matter in Federal Court. I posted the “Color of Law” violation only because it’s interesting in the scope of the circumstances. There are countless cases that have benefited individuals. Just because a certain individual didn’t succeed doesn’t mean it works for No One. One admiral lawyer right now is Sydney Powell, or the lawyers at… Read more »
DAN III: Are you really That friggin’ ignorant. You assume, Again, I “support” the use of MRAP’s. The point IS, try going against one, or more than one. You heard few Republicans complain about the use of those in Ferguson. Pay Attention!. Noticed I spoke about “equally armed”. The citizens are NOT equally armed today. And NO, you Don’t know… Read more »
Titus, I filed 13 years ago, a 1st Amendment lawsuit against county government for violation of my Freedom of Speech, per your citation. After three long years and tens of thousands of borrowed dollars, I had my two days in federal court. The jury ruled for me and against the county 8-0. Unanimous ! I thought I had won. Guess… Read more »
“Lesson learned:” That much is true and any case solely on the First Amendment is difficult at best. When it comes to deprivation of “property” that is another matter, since it is governed by Statute. This is where Federal Rules of Civil Procedure come into play where a “claim for damages” can be easier.
The judge will go to jail but the salon owner has to sue him in criminal/civil court and state rights have been violated. From DOJ “DEPRIVATION OF RIGHTS UNDER COLOR OF LAW SUMMARY: SECTION 242 OF TITLE 18 MAKES IT A CRIME FOR A PERSON ACTING UNDER COLOR OF ANY LAW TO WILLFULLY DEPRIVE A PERSON OF A RIGHT OR… Read more »
The behavior of police, their willingness to be the Democrat jackboots, is absolutely shocking.