It took long enough, but we now have a federal ruling that basically says that all of the lockdown measures that have been implemented against the people of the United States since March are illegal.
In a perfect world, we would get some serious lawsuits rolling ASAP, and hopefully, this could keep the second lockdown from happening.
BREAKING: A federal judge has ruled that the states shutdown orders and business closures this spring were unconstitutional. @KDKA https://t.co/bXak59P4Ha
— Nicole Ford (@NicoleFordTV) September 14, 2020
BREAKING: A federal judge on Monday struck down Gov. Tom Wolf’s pandemic restrictions that required people to stay at home, placed size limits on gatherings and ordered “non-life-sustaining” businesses to shut down, calling them unconstitutional. https://t.co/sxdqroQLrk
— WNEP (@WNEP) September 14, 2020
Unfortunately, nothing is stopping any of this, and the judge’s ruling will quickly be overturned.
UPI:
A federal judge has ruled that Pennsylvania Gov. Tim Wolf’s shutdown orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus were unconstitutional.
Judge William Stickman IV of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled Monday that the governor’s order to limit the number of people at gatherings violated the First Amendment right to assembly and his order closing “non-life sustaining” businesses and requiring residents to stay home violated due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment.
“The court believes that Defendants undertook their actions in a well-intentioned effort to protect Pennsylvanians from the virus,” Stickman, a President Donald Trump appointee, wrote in his 66-page opinion. “However, good intentions toward a laudable end are not alone enough to uphold governmental action against a constitutional challenge.”
Trump cheered the ruling on Twitter as “Great News.”
“Congratulations, Pennsylvania,” he wrote.
Great News, Mike! https://t.co/E0IHPAncn7
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 14, 2020
Lyndsay Kensinger, a spokeswoman for the governor, said they will seek a stay against the ruling as they file an appeal.
“The actions taken by the administration were mirrored by governors across the country and saved, and continue to save, lives in the absence of federal action,” she said in a statement. “This decision is especially worrying as Pennsylvania and the rest of the country are likely to face a challenging time with the possible resurgence of COVID-19 and the flu in the fall and winter.”
Kensinger explained the ruling does not affect other orders issued in July concerning mandatory telework, mask-wearing and others.
The ruling comes in response to a complaint filed on May 7 by the counties of Butler, Fayette, Greene and Washington and several Republican lawmakers, arguing orders that have since been suspended for residents to stay home and for non-life-sustaining businesses to shutter violated the constitution as did his order, which is still in effect, to restrict indoor gatherings to no more than 25 people and outdoor gatherings to no more than 250.
These actions were mirrored across the country. If the ruling stands, it means that all of it was illegal.
Actually, all of it was illegal whether the ruling stands or not, and I’m just telling you now: the ruling will not stand. There is simply no way.
This lockdown is too big and too important for the system to allow for some judge to interfere with it.
The second lockdown is going to arrive right on schedule, and the system will figure out a way to deal with the judges. That is what is happening. There is no other possibility.
I tell you that because I don’t want you to get your hopes up only to have them crushed.