The Detroit News
A Michigan judge denied the state of Michigan’s request to shut down an Owosso barbershop whose owner has openly defied the governor’s stay-home orders and continued to cut hair. During a hearing Thursday, Shiawassee County Circuit Judge Matthew Stewart refused to issue a preliminary injunction against Karl Manke. Stewart said while his decision was a “close call,” he could not grant the state’s request because officials failed to demonstrate that Manke was posing an imminent public health and safety threat by serving customers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Stewart said the threat the state alleges that Manke poses to public health and safety “must be actual and not theoretical.” The judge also asked state assistant attorney general Joseph Potchen why Manke was not arrested if he was a public health or safety risk.
