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Top Texas Officials Denounce Dallas Salon Owner's Jail Sentence For Defying Orders To Close

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday said the seven-day jail sentence a Dallas salon owner received for defying orders to keep her business closed was excessive — and Paxton called for her immediate release.

“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,” Paxton said in a statement Wednesday, calling state district Judge Eric Moyé’s order to to jail and fine Shelley Luther “a shameful abuse of judicial discretion.”

Paxton wrote a letter to Moyé demanding he immediately release Luther. Soon after, Abbott issued a statement saying he disagreed “with the excessive action” by the judge.

“As I have made clear through prior pronouncements, jailing Texans for non-compliance with executive orders should always be the last available option,” Abbott said. “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.”

The Texas Tribune provided this story.

Cassandra Pollock is an engagement reporter for The Texas Tribune, which she joined in June 2017 after a stint as a fellow during the 85th Texas Legislature. She graduated in 2017 from The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. Cassi has previously reported for The Daily Texan, the university’s official student newspaper, and The Washington Examiner in Washington, D.C.