Owosso Barber Calls For Charges Against Him To Be Dropped

Owosso barber, Karl Manke, is calling for the charges against him to be dropped after the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Back in early May, Karl Manke fought against some of Governor Gretch Whitmer's executive orders. Those executive orders included actions to shut down salons and barbershops amid the coronavirus pandemic. The salons and barbershops were ordered to close on March 17th and were allowed to reopen on June 15th.

On May 4th, Karl Manke decided to defy those orders and reopened his shop in Owosso causing him to face two misdemeanor charges for violating an executive order and a health department violation.

On Friday, October 2nd, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the governor did not have the authority to extend the emergency orders under the Emergency Management Act from 1976 or the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act from 1945.

I appreciate the Supreme Court stepping in and recognizing that I do not lose constitutional protections just because of speculation and innuendo. I am not a health threat to anyone, and I have a right to continue to cut hair and earn a living...The Courts have consistently upheld my constitutional rights affirming that the Governor’s attempts to shut me down were out of line...said Manke in a prepared statement. 

Now, Manke is calling for the charges against him to be dropped after the ruling of the Michigan Supreme Court on Friday that stated Governor Whitmer did not have the authority to continue declaring states of emergency or issuing orders after April 30th.

Source: MLive