Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to Newsmax: Dallas Judge 'Arrogant' For Jailing Salon Owner

The Dallas judge who sent hair salon owner Shelly Luther to jail for not apologizing to him was "arrogant," Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told Newsmax TV.

Texas District Judge Eric Moye told Luther she could avoid jail time if she apologized for acting "selfish" for opening her salon two weeks ago against state orders. She was also ordered to pay a $3,500 fine, plus $500 for each day her shop was open. 

Patrick paid the fine.

"I have not spoken with her, never met her, don't know her, don't know the judge in the case, I don't know the Republican lady who's running against him in November but I might get to know her," Patrick said.

Luther, who was sentenced to seven days in jail on Tuesday for violating the state order and opening her hair salon two weeks ago, publicly ripped apart a cease-and-desist order from Dallas County that told her to close.

Luther was released from jail Wednesday. Patrick said he was more than willing to take over her jail sentence. 

"I said I'll even offer to let the judge put me in home confinement for the next seven days until the sentence is over and let her go out back to her family and her business ... it occurred to me that maybe this judge had actually made a mistake. In the heat of the moment, we all can make a mistake, and maybe this can be a face-saving way for him to get out of it."

Patrick added: "I really thought it was a way to kind of bridge this gap and end it. What I didn't know at the time Chris was this guy wanted to punish her, that he's arrogant, that he wanted to make an example out of her. Again, he didn't send her to jail because she broke the governor's order, which she did. That could have been a $50 fine and let her go home. He sent her to jail because she wouldn't grovel to him. She wouldn't apologize."

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