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Judge Andrew Napolitano said Monday that federal and state governments “do not have the authority” to mandate the wearing of face masks.
He said that the 10th Amendment to the Constitution reserves matters of public health and safety to the states, but even they lack the authority to mandate masks anywhere but state property.
“The federal government certainly can’t do it because the federal government is not charged with public health or public safety,” Napolitano told Fox News’ Melissa Francis. “That is an area that is reserved by the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution for the states.”
“If a person is known to be contagious, the state could require that person to be quarantined or wear a mask, but anything short of that, the state cannot interfere with that person’s freedom of movement or freedom to wear or not to wear a mask.
“So let me modify slightly what I just said,” he said. “The federal government could compel wearing masks on federal property. A military facility, the post office, government buildings, and the state government could compel wearing masks on state property. The DMV, state colleges, things like that. But on property that the government doesn’t own, the feds have no authority to compel wearing a mask, and the states can only compel it when people are sick.”
Napolitano said that “force of public opinion” could do “what the law cannot do” if the vast majority of people in an area shame those not wearing masks.
“But in terms of police stopping you on the street or giving you a summons or a court imposing a fine, absolutely not,” he concluded. “First of all, these mayors and gubernatorial edicts are just suggestions. They are not the law.”
He said that the 10th Amendment to the Constitution reserves matters of public health and safety to the states, but even they lack the authority to mandate masks anywhere but state property.
“The federal government certainly can’t do it because the federal government is not charged with public health or public safety,” Napolitano told Fox News’ Melissa Francis. “That is an area that is reserved by the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution for the states.”
“If a person is known to be contagious, the state could require that person to be quarantined or wear a mask, but anything short of that, the state cannot interfere with that person’s freedom of movement or freedom to wear or not to wear a mask.
“So let me modify slightly what I just said,” he said. “The federal government could compel wearing masks on federal property. A military facility, the post office, government buildings, and the state government could compel wearing masks on state property. The DMV, state colleges, things like that. But on property that the government doesn’t own, the feds have no authority to compel wearing a mask, and the states can only compel it when people are sick.”
Napolitano said that “force of public opinion” could do “what the law cannot do” if the vast majority of people in an area shame those not wearing masks.
“But in terms of police stopping you on the street or giving you a summons or a court imposing a fine, absolutely not,” he concluded. “First of all, these mayors and gubernatorial edicts are just suggestions. They are not the law.”
