Shelley Luther, the owner of Salon à la Mode in Dallas has been jailed for a week after she refused to stop operating her business despite Coronavirus restrictions.
She was booked in the Dallas County jail on Tuesday afternoon following a video hearing.
According to court documents, Luther was sentenced to seven days in jail for violating a temporary restraining order to close her business and fined $500 each to the county’s criminal and civil courts for every day the salon remained open.
A Dallas inspector and a police officer told the court that they saw clients inside getting haircuts and manicures, according to the Texas Tribune.
At the hearing, Luther said she kept the salon open because she needed the money.
“I couldn’t feed my family, and my stylists couldn’t feed their families,” Luther testified, saying she had applied for a federal loan but didn’t receive it until Sunday.
Dallas County Judge Eric Moye said during Tuesday’s hearing that she could avoid jail if she apologised for being selfish, shut the salon and paid a fine. But Luther, who gained national attention for opening her salon in April 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.”
Before her arrest, she even told her followers on Facebook that she had a right to remain open.
Judge Eric Moyé told Luther: “The rule of law governs us. People cannot take it upon themselves to determine what they will and will not do.”
In his judgment of contempt, he said: “The defiance of the court’s order was open, flagrant and intentional.” He noted that despite being given the opportunity to apologize Luther has “expressed no contrition, remorse or regret” for her actions.
The hearing occurred as Gov. Greg Abbott relaxed more restrictions statewide, allowing barbershops and hair salons to reopen on Friday.
