Name: Can I walk my dog? Or exercise at night? Gov. Doug Ducey's statewide curfew explained
Brand: azcentral.com
SKU: azcentral-com-76
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Can I walk my dog? Or exercise at night? Gov. Doug Ducey's statewide curfew explained

preview

Arizona RepublicView CommentsAfter three nights of turbulent protests against police brutality, Gov. Doug Ducey on Sunday announced a statewide curfew designed to prevent "violent civil disturbances."But the decision — shared abruptly, with few details at first — left many Arizonans confused.&nbsp;Why impose a statewide curfew,&nbsp;if protests have largely been limited to the Phoenix and Tucson areas? What about people who work nights? Does the governor even have the authority to do this?&nbsp;Here's what we've learned so far.The curfew is in effect from the evening of Sunday, May 31&nbsp;through the morning of Monday, June 8.The curfew is from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night.&nbsp;Arizonans may not be "present on any public street or in any public place," according to the governor's order.It defines "public places" to include alleys, highways, public driveways, sidewalks, parks and&nbsp;vacant lots.Violators may be charged with a&nbsp;Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by&nbsp;up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.&nbsp;Yes.The curfew does not apply to:Employees traveling directly to and from work are exempt from the order.Arizonans may also travel to:Ducey spokesperson Patrick Ptak said there is "no desire to stop law-abiding Arizonans from doing what they're doing."No. Businesses may remain open&nbsp;and the public can continue to patronize them during curfew hours.&nbsp;The order "will not impact the homeless community," according to the Governor's Office.Both of these activities are allowed, despite the order not explicitly exempting them, Ptak said.Yes.The governor's order argues the "level of disturbances and danger to persons and property has continued to increase, with information suggesting that civil disturbances will expand to other areas of the State."Still, some rural parts of the state have said they don't intend to implement the curfew.&nbsp;In eastern Arizona, for instance, the Holbrook Police Department said on Facebook that it would not enforce restrictions because the city had not experienced "riots like those in other areas of the country.""We feel that mutual respect exists between the Holbrook Police and the citizens we serve," the department said. "Enforcing an order where no demonstrated need exists will negatively affect this relationship."The governor said&nbsp;the move came in response to requests from "local leaders," but it's not clear which leaders he meant.&nbsp;Officials with the cities of&nbsp;Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale and Mesa told The Arizona Republic&nbsp;they had not asked for the&nbsp;curfew.&nbsp; The Arizona Civil Liberties Union of Arizona described the curfew as “an extraordinary and sweeping measure that raises serious constitutional concerns," given that it appears to prohibit even peaceful assemblies.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Such actions restrict the rights of protesters and will undoubtedly lead to selective enforcement in Black and Brown communities," the organization said in a statement. "We urge the Governor and other elected officials across the state to seek a less restrictive approach."But constitutional law expert Paul Bender said governors have more freedom to limit civil liberties during emergencies than they do under typical circumstances."With&nbsp;all the riots that have been happening throughout the country, I&nbsp;think the courts would give the governor a wide amount of discretion to decide what to do to stop that from happening here," he said. "My feeling is that this (order) would not be easy to challenge in court."Bender said attempts&nbsp;to extend the curfew past June 8 could create a "serious problem," however.&nbsp;"Governments are entitled to take a little while to calm things down," he said, but "even a week&nbsp;is pretty long."Republic reporter Jessica Boehm contributed to this article.Reach the reporter at &nbsp;or 602-653-6807. Follow her on Twitter .Support local journalism. .View Comments

Arizona RepublicView CommentsAfter three nights of turbulent protests against police brutality, Gov. Doug Ducey on Sunday announced a statewide curfew designed to prevent "violent civil disturbances."But the decision — shared abruptly, with few details at first — left many Arizonans confused.&nbsp;Why impose a statewide curfew,&nbsp;if protests have largely been limited to the Phoenix and Tucson areas? What about people who work nights? Does the governor even have the authority to do this?&nbsp;Here's what we've learned so far.The curfew is in effect from the evening of Sunday, May...

public

Maria Polletta

Award-winning local news from Arizona and metro Phoenix | The Arizona Republic in the streets 🗞️,  @azcentral  in the tweets (and online) | Instagram: azcentral

Can I walk my dog? Or exercise at night? Gov. Doug Ducey's statewide curfew explained

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS