Washington – Dallas-Texas hair salon owner Shelley Luther has been sentenced to one week in prison for refusing to close her business despite being prevented by coronavirus prevention measures, local media reported Wednesday. .
Luther was sentenced Tuesday to seven days in prison and to pay a $ 1,000 fine for each day her center remained open; a punishment that could have been less if the hairdresser had not refused to acknowledge her guilt and show remorse, explained Dallas 14th civil court magistrate Eric Moyé.
“I have to disagree with you, Your Honor, when you say that I am selfish, because feeding my children is not selfish. I have stylists who are starving because they feed their children before they feed themselves, “said the businesswoman, according to local media.
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“So, Your Honor, if you believe that the law is more important than feeding children, then please continue with your decision, but I will not close the salon,” he added.
Court documents indicate that in addition to ignoring the order of several courts not to open his establishment, Luther did not guarantee that his employees complied with the safety distance.
The lawyer for this hairdresser has already announced that she will file an appeal to the judge’s decision.
State Attorney General Ken Paxton today sent a letter to the judge criticizing his decision to send Luther to jail, a ruling he called “shameful abuse of his judicial discretion,” and called for his release.
Shelley Luther should immediately be released from jail. Locking her up is a misguided abuse of power, especially considering Dallas County released real criminals to “protect them from COVID-19.” Release her now so she can return to her family. pic.twitter.com/67KrhQBEyf
– Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 6, 2020
“I find it outrageous and out of place that during this national pandemic, a judge, in a county where criminals were freed for fear of contracting COVID-19, imprisoned a mother for keeping her salon open in an attempt to Put food on your family’s table, ”Paxton said in a statement.
The same day that Luther was convicted, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that hairdressers, barbers, and beauty centers may reopen this Friday if both employees and customers wear face masks.
See the statements from @TXAG and me on the jailing of Dallas Salon Owner Shelley Luther. pic.twitter.com/wyOOllGXgj
– Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 6, 2020
The United States reached 1,210,822 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 71,463 deaths on Wednesday, according to an independent count by John Hopkins University.
