A Texas hairdresser was sentenced to seven days in prison for keeping her living room open in violation of rules to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, a sentence nevertheless deemed Wednesday "excessive" by the authorities of this American state. Shelley Luther, Patron of Fashionable Lounge , was sentenced on Tuesday by a Dallas federal court that ordered her on April 28 to comply with city, county and state containment rules .
"She continued her operations for seven days and until this hearing" and received several clients a day, according to the judgment. She "expressed no remorse or regret," said the judge, who also fined her $ 1,000 for each of the seven days of the offense. Her lawyer immediately announced her intention to appeal.
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At the hearing, Shelley Luther, who had distinguished herself in anti-containment protests, had explained to the judge that he needed to "feed his children," local media reported. "If you think the law is more important than feeding children, make your decision but I will not close my living room," she said.
Texas Attorney General Republican Ken Paxton On Wednesday Ruled Ashamed And Disconnected From Reality And Pleaded For The Release Of This "Mother Who Kept Her Living Room Open For Dining On The Family Table" " . The sentence is "excessive," added Republican Governor Greg Abbott. "During a pandemic, compliance with instructions is important (...) but there must be less repressive means to achieve our goal," he said in a statement.
He also announced the reopening of hair salons, as well as barbers, manicure salons, tanning booths, parks, beaches and swimming pools, from Friday, a week after the lifting of restrictions on bars and restaurants in its state. In the United States, where the new coronavirus has killed more than 72,000 people, it is the governors of the 50 states who have taken containment measures and are starting to lift them, each at their own pace.