Kara Sears
Shelley Luther, a Dallas hair salon owner, was jailed for breaking the law by reopening her salon during the early stages of the coronavirus crisis. She was released after 48 hours and has since become a political celebrity, running for office in a Republican special election.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Law broken | Reopening her hair salon during the early stages of the coronavirus crisis |
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What You'll Learn
- Shelley Luther was jailed for contempt
- She defied state orders to reopen her hair salon during the coronavirus crisis
- She was offered a deal to be released if she apologised and admitted she was selfish
- She refused to close her salon, saying Feeding my kids is not selfish
- She was released after 48 hours in jail
Shelley Luther was jailed for contempt
Luther, a Dallas business owner, was jailed for 48 hours at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center. She was released on May 7, 2020, and broke down in tears amid the fanfare, media attention and swift rise in her value as a political celebrity.
The judge offered to rescind the jail time if Luther apologised, admitted she was selfish and promised not to reopen until the governor's new target date. Luther refused, telling the judge: "Feeding my kids is not selfish. If you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision, but I am not going to shut the salon."
In his judgment, Judge Eric Moyé wrote that "the defiance of the court's order was open, flagrant and intentional" and that Luther "expressed no contrition, remorse or regret". The Texas Supreme Court ordered her release.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he hoped Luther's case meant "nobody has to be in prison again for going out and trying to work". Luther has since run for office, telling a crowd: "I'll do it again and again, because I will fight to keep our Texas values."
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She defied state orders to reopen her hair salon during the coronavirus crisis
Shelley Luther, a Dallas hair salon owner, was jailed for defying state orders to reopen her hair salon during the coronavirus crisis. She was released after 48 hours. Luther was offered a deal by the judge, who said he would rescind the jail time if she apologised, admitted she was selfish and promised not to reopen until Abbott’s new target date of May 8. Luther refused, saying: "Feeding my kids is not selfish. If you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision, but I am not going to shut the salon."
Luther's actions divided Texans and reignited racial division in DFW. Her supporters gathered in front of the George Allen Courthouse to praise her resistance, while others criticised the decision as anti-democratic.
Luther has since announced her run for office, saying: "If you want someone that doesn’t have to tell you they’ll fight, if you want someone that doesn’t have to tell you they’ll stand up and go to jail for you? I’ll do it again and again, because I will fight to keep our Texas values."
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She was offered a deal to be released if she apologised and admitted she was selfish
Shelley Luther, a Dallas hair salon owner, was jailed for opening her business during the early stages of the coronavirus crisis. She was offered a deal to be released if she apologised and admitted she was selfish. She refused, saying: "Feeding my kids is not selfish. If you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision, but I am not going to shut the salon." She was released after 48 hours in jail.
Luther was jailed for contempt of court. Judge Eric Moyé wrote that "the defiance of the court's order was open, flagrant and intentional" and that Luther "expressed no contrition, remorse or regret".
Her actions and subsequent jailing divided Texans and reignited racial division in DFW. Some supporters of Luther claimed that if she had been black and the judge had been white, she would not have been released.
Luther has since run for office, telling a crowd: "I'll do it again and again, because I will fight to keep our Texas values."
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She refused to close her salon, saying Feeding my kids is not selfish
Shelley Luther, a Dallas hair salon owner, was jailed for breaking the law by reopening her salon during the early stages of the coronavirus crisis. She refused to close her salon, saying 'Feeding my kids is not selfish'. She was offered a deal by the judge, who said he would rescind the jail time if she apologised, admitted she was selfish and promised not to reopen until Abbott’s new target date of May 8. Luther refused, saying:
> If you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision, but I am not going to shut the salon.
She was jailed for contempt. Her case has been described as a 'stubborn stance to reopen against state orders', which has 'galvanised the right, divided Texans and reignited racial division in DFW'. Luther has since run for office, telling a crowd: 'I’ll do it again and again, because I will fight to keep our Texas values'.
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She was released after 48 hours in jail
Shelley Luther, a Dallas hair salon owner, was jailed for 48 hours for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules. She was released on May 7, 2020, after the Texas Supreme Court ordered her release.
Luther was initially jailed for contempt of court after she defied a state order to close her salon during the early stages of the coronavirus crisis. She was offered the chance to be released if she apologised, admitted she was selfish, and promised not to reopen her salon until the lockdown was lifted. However, she refused, telling the judge, "Feeding my kids is not selfish. If you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision, but I am not going to shut the salon."
Her case sparked debate, with some seeing her as a hero for standing up for her family and her business, while others criticised her for breaking the law and putting public health at risk. Her release was also controversial, with some arguing that it set a dangerous precedent and sent the wrong message about following public health guidelines.
Despite the controversy, Luther's political career benefited from the incident. She gained attention as a political celebrity and later ran for office, positioning herself as a fighter for "Texas values". She advanced in a special election for a state Senate seat, facing Republican State Rep. Drew Springer and Denton Mayor Chris Watts.
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Frequently asked questions
Shelley Luther broke the law by reopening her hair salon during the early stages of the coronavirus crisis.
Shelley Luther was sentenced to jail time.
Shelley Luther spent 48 hours in a cell by herself at the Lew Sterrett Justice Centre before being released.
The Texas Supreme Court ordered her release. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he hoped her case meant 'nobody has to be in prison again for going out and trying to work'.
