Name: We can’t and won’t enforce Abbott’s mask order, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says
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We can’t and won’t enforce Abbott’s mask order, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says it will not enforce Gov. Greg Abbott’s order requiring most Texans to wear masks when they’re in public.In a statement, the agency said it “will take NO actions to enforce” the order, arguing that it is unenforceable because it doesn’t allow law enforcement to detain, arrest or jail violators.“This language strips law enforcement of the necessary tools to enforce compliance with the law,” the agency said.More Coronavirus NewsAbbott’s policy requires residents in counties with more than 20 cases of COVID-19 to wear masks when they are in public and can’t properly distance themselves. The governor said first-time offenders would get a warning, and that repeated violations could result in fines of up to $250, though he left that up to local law enforcement’s discretion.Montgomery County is now saying it will use that discretion to forego enforcement altogether. The agency did say, however, that it would respond if it gets a call from a business where a customer is not wearing a mask and refuses to leave the property.MUTANT STRAIN:The sheriff’s office argued the order could subject it to civil liability if deputies stop someone for failing to wear a mask and it is misconstrued as a detention. The agency said “holding someone for the purpose of issuing a citation related to a fine is a legally defined detention under current Texas law.”“We are in a public health crisis and we will use this opportunity to educate our community while still respecting individual liberties,” the sheriff’s office said.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says it will not enforce Gov. Greg Abbott’s order requiring most Texans to wear masks when they’re in public.In a statement, the agency said it “will take NO actions to enforce” the order, arguing that it is unenforceable because it doesn’t allow law enforcement to detain, arrest or jail violators.“This language strips law enforcement of the necessary tools to enforce compliance with the law,” the agency said.More Coronavirus NewsAbbott’s policy requires residents in counties with more than 20 cases of COVID-19 to wear masks when they are in public and...

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Dylan McGuinness

houstonchronicle.com

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We can’t and won’t enforce Abbott’s mask order, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says

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