Man Sentenced to One Year in Jail for Throwing Parties

Misbar’s investigation found this circulating claim to be true. According to the Southern Maryland Chronicle, the State’s Attorney for Charles County, announced that in September, 2020, Shawn Marshall Myers, was convicted of two counts of Failure to Comply with an Emergency Order. Immediately after the trial, the judge sentenced Myers, 42, to one year of active incarceration to be served at the county detention center. 

During the coronavirus pandemic, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan had issued an emergency order that prohibited more than 10 people to be gathered together to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. According to a press release issued on September 25, 2020 by the Charles County State’s Attorney’s office, on March 22, 2020, multiple officers responded to Myers’ residence located in the small town of Hughesville, Maryland for the report of a large party violating Governor Larry Hogan’s State of Emergency and Large Gathering Orders. The homeowner, Myers, had approximately fifty people in attendance at his residence. Upon arrival, officers told Myers that his party violated the current mandate. Myers was argumentative with officers but eventually agreed to disband his party.

Less than a week later, on March 27, 2020, officers responded back to Myers’ residence for another report of a party exceeding fifty people. Officers told Myers to disband the party, but again he was argumentative claiming he and his guests had the right to congregate. Beyond being argumentative, Myers directed his guests to stay in defiance of Governor Hogan’s Orders and the officers’ lawful orders to disband the party. Officers tried to reason with Myers and obtain his cooperation to no avail. Myers was then apprehended.

Myer’s parties were held just prior to the peak of Maryland’s COVID-19 peak rate of infections.