Four Michigan county sheriffs said in a letter on Wednesday that they will not strictly enforce Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) aggressive stay-at-home orders, emphasizing their oath to “uphold and defend the Michigan Constitution, as well as the U.S. Constitution, and to ensure that your God-given rights are not violated.”
Sheriffs of Michigan’s 101st House District, covering the counties of Manistee, Benzie, Leelanau, and Mason, spoke out against Whitmer’s stringent orders, forbidding residents’ “nonessential” visits to neighbors, friends, or relatives. The order also restricts retailers from selling items deemed “nonessential.” Those include gardening items, furniture, child car seats, and certain home improvement goods.
While the Michigan sheriffs stated that they understand Whitmer’s desire to protect the public, they “question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority.”
“She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan citizens,” they wrote, noting that they will not have “strict enforcement of these orders.” Rather, they will “deal with every case as an individual situation and apply common sense in assessing the apparent violation.”
“Each of us took an oath to uphold and defend the Michigan Constitution, as well as the US Constitution, and to ensure that your God given rights are not violated,” the sheriffs wrote. “We believe that we are the last line of defense in protecting your civil liberties.”
They also emphasized the need to focus on the reopening of their counties and getting people back to work while continuing to practice common safety suggestions, like social distancing.
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