BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) – A governor who encourages mass protests but won’t let businesses serve more than 10 customers at a time is a hypocrite, says the group challenging Maryland’s social distancing guidelines.
The group, which includes Antietam Battlefield KOA, last week told the judge hearing its lawsuit that it shouldn’t grant Gov. Larry Hogan’s recently filed motion to dismiss.
“The recent protests over the death of George Floyd, and the Governor’s expressed support for such peaceful protests where photos show hundreds of people are demonstrating without social distancing or masks, while at the same time banning churches, Legislators and businesses from gatherings of more than 10 people, indicate his executive orders are mistreating churches, businesses, and individuals herein with disparity and unconstitutional discrimination,” the group’s attorneys wrote.
The challenge is one of 19 in Maryland one of more than 3,000 nationwide over coronavirus executive orders, the group says.
It says Hogan’s executive orders have locked people in their homes, closed businesses and required facemasks, on the advice of one doctor who has not been determined to be an expert in this area.
“The Governor states that he has not quarantined anyone but has only ‘directed’ their movement and ‘required (some) people to refrain from ‘congregating,’” the group says.
“(T)his is a rose-colored lens view of the draconian orders.”
What is quarantine and what is isolation is an issue for the judge to decide, the group says.
“For sure, the Plaintiffs, who are not sick, believe they have been quarantined, isolated, or as they call it, put under house arrest,” the group says.
“The only thing missing is the ankle bracelet.”