Dallas salon owner gets week in jail for refusing to close business during stay-at-home orders

[ansible]

A Dallas salon owner who has refused to close her shop despite multiple court orders has now been sentenced to a week in jail. A judge on Tuesday called Shelley Luther's open defiance of social distancing orders "flagrant and intentional" and said she felt no "remorse or regret" for her actions.

According to court documents, Luther was sentenced to seven days in jail for violating a temporary restraining order to close her business and fined $500 each to the county's criminal and civil courts for every day the salon remained open. She openly violated the governor's stay-at-home order, an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Luther, the owner of Salon À la Mode and Hot Mess Enterprises, gained national attention for opening her salon in April after her city and county ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses in March. She has said she opposed the stay-at-home order for financial reasons and publicly ripped up one of the court orders at a protest with more than 100 others.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told Luther on Tuesday that he would consider a lighter sentence if she admitted that she was wrong and apologized to the elected officials whose orders she violated.

"I have much respect for this court and laws. I have never been in this position before and it's not someplace that I want to be," Luther responded, according to CBS Dallas Fort Worth. "But I have to disagree with you, sir, when you say that I'm selfish because feeding my kids — is not selfish. I have hair stylists that are going hungry because they'd rather feed their kids. So sir, 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."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-lockdown-dallas-woman-7-days-jail-refusing-to-close-salon-shelley-luther/

[Cha]

1. Wow.. and with a repub gov, too.

[TexasTowelie]

3. The worst part

is that barbershops and salons will open up on Friday.

[TexasTowelie]

2. Luther and her attorney pissed off the judge.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/107846241

The judge became visibly upset after being interrupted twice and having to tell Luther's attorney to sit down.

“You will not interrupt me in my courtroom," Moyé said.

City attorneys argued that it didn’t matter how Luther was operating her salon and that the only issue at hand was whether she was open in violation of the temporary restraining order.

Moyé asked Luther if she was still operating to this day.

“Yes, partially," Luther said.

BTW, she did receive a federal government loan.

[Ms. Toad]

4. Good. n/t