Texas Supreme Court orders release of salon owner jailed for reopening amid pandemic

The Supreme Court of Texas on Thursday issued an order to release Shelley Luther, who was previously jailed for reopening her salon amid coronavirus pandemic lockdown restrictions.

Luther’s case has led to multiple Texas officials stepping up in her defense. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) called her sentence by District Judge Eric Moyé a “shameful abuse of judicial discretion.”

The order comes one day after Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Texans cannot be jailed for violating state executive orders, citing some businesses that remain open amid lockdown restrictions.

Throwing Texans in jail whose biz’s shut down through no fault of their own is wrong.

I am eliminating jail for violating an order, retroactive to April 2, superseding local orders.

Criminals shouldn’t be released to prevent COVID-19 just to put business owners in their place.

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 7, 2020