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.
Abbott said on Twitter that he is changing an executive order to remove jail as a punishment for anyone who violates the guidelines.
Updated at 12:21 p.m.