Harris County Lockdown

Today, effective at 11:59 pm, the county judge ordered a shelter-in-place or lockdown. While the order lists a number of provisions, because we are criminal defense attorneys we are concerned with:

Thus it is now $1000 short of a DWI to break lockdown:

Here is the authority:

Sec. 418.173. PENALTY FOR VIOLATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN. (a) A state, local, or interjurisdictional emergency management plan may provide that failure to comply with the plan or with a rule, order, or ordinance adopted under the plan is an offense.

(b) The plan may prescribe a punishment for the offense but may not prescribe a fine that exceeds $1,000 or confinement in jail for a term that exceeds 180 days.

The concern is, it seems, police can now yield a broad sword in approaching persons out and about.

Stay safe. Stay fresh. Stay clean.