Michigan Judge Orders Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to Stop Pursuing 77-Year-Old Barber Karl Manke

Michigan courts continue to deliver losses to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in her efforts to stop 77-year-old barber Karl Manke from working.

On Friday, the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously sided with the Owosso barber.

On Monday, a county judge gave another win to Manke, ruling Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel should stop going after him.

“It is no longer appropriate for Plaintiff to seek to compel Defendant to comply with a nonexistent injunction,” Shiawassee County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Stewart ordered, according to Great Lakes News.

The Attorney General had sought to impose a $7,500 fine to be imposed for “the unlawful operation of his barber shop on June 1, 2020,” Mlive reported.

Nessel was also seeking a daily $7,500 fine.

Meanwhile, Whitmer’s Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was seeking a $5,000 penalty.

Manke said last week he would close his shop if Whitmer resigned.

“I don’t have any intentions of being bullied. I really don’t mind her being governor, but when (Whitmer) starts this ruling stuff, then I take exception to that,” Manke told Mlive.

“It’s not part of our Constitution. It shows her immaturity as a leader, not being able to govern, instead having to rely on police state tactics in order to get her agenda taken care of.”

Whitmer and Nessel had fined Manke and stripped him of his license after he repeatedly refused to close his business in defiance of Whitmer’s executive orders.

A Michigan Court of Appeals upheld Manke’s license suspension was valid, but the 7-0 Supreme Court decision reversed that.

Manke was defiant after the Appeals Court ruling and told WILX, “I’m still open, still working until they cut my hands off.”

The barber’s two misdemeanors stemming from fines imposed by local police at the beginning of the whole ordeal have yet to be resolved.

Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Listen to segments on YouTube. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook.