An emotional Shelley Luther thanked those gathered in support when she was freed from jail on Thursday, after opening her salon in defiance of a stay-at-home order.
“I’m a little overwhelmed, and I don’t wanna scare the kids, I’m okay,” started a tearful Luther. “But I just want to thank all of you I just barely met. And now you’re all my friends. You mean so much to me and this would have been nothing without you. Thank you so, so much.”
“I’ll have more to say when I can gather myself, but I’m a little overwhelmed,” added the salon owner.
Luther was sentenced Tuesday to a week in jail and a $7,000 fine for opening her salon in defiance of state orders, The Daily Wire reported.
The businesswoman gained national attention when she gave Dallas Judge Eric Moye a sharp response to his claim that she was “selfish” for opening her salon.
“Judge, I would like to say that I have much respect for this court and laws and that I have never been in this position before and it’s not someplace that I want to be,” the Texas salon owner told the judge. “But I have to disagree with you, sir, when you say that I’m selfish because feeding my kids is not selfish.”
“I have hair stylists that are going hungry because they’d rather feed their kids,” she continued. “So, sir, 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 lawyer Warren Norred said her client was “unlawfully arrested and jailed.”
“I’m concerned that the judicial system in Dallas is more concerned for one perspective on the rule of law than it is the plight of working people trying to make a living,” Norred said, as noted by The Daily Wire. “Though the rule of law is cited by the court, there exists no exception for cities to the general rule that an injunction must be supported by a bond. Without an enforceable injunction, no contempt can be found. Our position is that Ms. Luther has been unlawfully arrested and jailed. I hope to obtain a writ of habeas corpus very soon. ”
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced Wednesday he’d pay the $7,000 fine and would volunteer to serve her 7-day jail sentence. “7 days in jail, no bail and a $7K fine is outrageous,” he posted via Twitter. “No surprise Texans are responding. I’m covering the $7K fine she had to pay and I volunteer to be placed under House Arrest so she can go to work and feed her kids.”
Republican Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has since amended his executive orders so Texans who attempt to work against state orders will not be subject to confinement.
As seen below, Luther was met with cheers and chants upon her release from jail:
Watch the moment salon owner Shelley Luther walks out of the Dallas County Jail after the Texas Supreme Court called for her release: pic.twitter.com/BlgFkJv1LL
— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) May 7, 2020
Here’s Luther addressing the crowd:
Salon owner Shelley Luther walks out of jail and breaks down in tears:
"I just want to thank all of you I just barely met. And now you're all my friends. You mean so much to me and this would have been nothing without you. Thank you so, so much." pic.twitter.com/cNzLnzPot3
— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) May 7, 2020
Related: Texas Women Face 180 Days In Jail After Neighbors Alert Police They’re Giving Manicures At Home
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.