The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office released the Texas hair salon owner who spent two days in jail for re-opening her business and ignoring Coronavirus lockdown orders.
Subsequent to an order from the Supreme Court of Texas, the Dallas sheriff released Shelley Luther on Thursday afternoon. During a brief appearance before news cameras gathered outside the jail, Luther broke down in tears.
Supporters gathered outside the Dallas County jail shouted “Shellie’s Free, Shellie’s Free” while Luther tried to gather her composure.
Choking back tears, Luther told the gathered crowd, “Thank you guys, so much. I’m a little overwhelmed,” as she assured children she was okay despite wearing a facemask.
“I just want to thank all of you who I just met and now you’re all my friends,” Luther said. “You mean so much to me and this would have been nothing without you.”
She told the crowd she would have more to say after she had time to gather her emotions.
Her release followed an order from the Supreme Court of Texas who ordered her release without bond after Dallas attorney Warren Norred filed a writ of habeas corpus on her behalf.
The order from the state’s highest court comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the jailing of the Dallas hair salon owner by District Court Judge Eric Moyé a misguided “abuse” of power, Breitbart Texas reported Wednesday.
“I find it outrageous and out of touch that during this national pandemic, a judge, in a county that actually released hardened criminals for fear of contracting COVID-19, would jail a mother for operating her hair salon in an attempt to put food on her family’s table,” Attorney General Paxton said in a written statement on Wednesday. “The trial judge did not need to lock up Shelley Luther. His order is a shameful abuse of judicial discretion, which seems like another political stunt in Dallas. He should release Ms. Luther immediately.”
Earlier in the day, Governor Greg Abbott amended his executive order on essential businesses and removed the provision allowing for violators to be punished by up to 180-days in jail.
“I join the Attorney General in disagreeing with the excessive action by the Dallas Judge, putting Shelley Luther in jail for seven days,” Abbott said in a statement on Wednesday. “As I have made clear through prior pronouncements, jailing Texans for non-compliance with executive orders should always be the last available option. Compliance with executive orders during this pandemic is important to ensure public safety; however, surely there are less restrictive means to achieving that goal than jailing a Texas mother.”
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.