Several New York sheriffs have vowed not to enforce Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Thanksgiving restrictions, including his 10-person limitation.
Last week, Cuomo announced that the state would be capping Thanksgiving celebrations at 10 people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. He did not, however, explain how this restriction would be enforced, leaving that part to the localities.
New York follows the science.
We know indoor gatherings and parties are a major source of COVID spread.
To slow the spread, NYS will limit indoor gatherings at private residences to 10 people.
This limit takes effect Friday at 10pm.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 11, 2020
But Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino said his deputies would not enforce the order.
“Frankly, I am not sure it could sustain a Constitutional challenge in Court for several reasons including your house is your castle. And as a Sheriff with a law degree I couldn’t in good faith attempt to defend it Court, so I won’t,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Who and how many people you invite in to your home is your business, unlike outdoor gatherings which may receive a police response if disorderly or other violations of public nuisance laws occur.”
Update 2
Someone just anonymously emailed and said of course the Executive order doesn’t apply to people who live in…
Posted by Fulton County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, November 14, 2020
Giardino was joined shortly thereafter by three other New York sheriffs: Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, Washington County Sheriff Jeff Murphy, and Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard.
“I have no plans to utilize my office’s resources or deputies to break up the great tradition of Thanksgiving dinner,” Howard said, according to the New York Post.
Similarly, Zurlo said: “I can’t see how devoting our resources to counting cars in citizens’ driveways or investigating how much turkey and dressing they’ve purchased is for the public good.”
A Cuomo adviser slammed the sheriffs and accused them of ignoring “science.”
“Politicians acting like politicians and ignoring what the actual experts say has been fueling the spread of this virus is what plunged this country in this continued public health crisis in the first place,” senior Cuomo adviser Richard Azzopardi said in a statement. “We urge everyone to continue to be smart and act responsibly. We know this makes people unhappy, but better unhappy then sick or worse.”
