DC mayor: No jail time for leaving home during coronavirus

Updated: December 15, 2024 - 9:52pm

<p>D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she does not expect the city to levy criminal penalties for violating her stay-at-home order after reports that the city's mayor was threatening jail time for those who didn't comply with stay-at-home orders.</p><p>“We don’t expect we will have to issue any fines or jail time because we expect people will comply,” Bowser said at a news conference Tuesday morning.</p><p>The order the mayor issued Monday, following the governors of Maryland and Virginia, included punishment with a fine of $5,000 or less and up to 90 days in jail for anyone in deliberate violation.</p><p>“Our message remains the same: stay home,” said Mayor Bowser in a statement. “Staying at home is the best way to flatten the curve and protect yourself, your family, and our entire community from COVID-19.”</p>