Lawsuit Demands DeWine End COVID Mandates
Was Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s plan to fight COVID-19 illegal and unconstitutional? A lawsuit filed against the governor last week says so.
In that lawsuit, plaintiff Terpsehore Maras demands that the courts immediately halt the state’s health mandates and forbid Governor DeWine and his cabinet from ever instituting such measures again.
The filing quotes Article 1, Section 21 of Ohio’s constitution, which says, “(A) No federal, state, or local law or rule shall compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in a health care system. (B) No federal, state, or local law or rule shall prohibit the purchase or sale of health care or health insurance.”
A receipt shows that the papers for this lawsuit were delivered to Governor DeWine’s office on September 16.
Forced Healthcare?
Maras argues that executive orders enacted starting in March of 2020 that were intended to halt the spread of COVID-19, actually forced individuals to participate in activities that would be considered forced health care services.
Specifically, that the mask mandate compelled citizens to wear a medical device (a mask) or be denied access to “such as entering or enjoying access to public or private institutions such as venues, access to public transport, courthouses, schools, hospitals, and food emporiums to name a few.”
The lawsuit further argues that taking people’s temperatures and contact tracing are also forced medical services.
The filing also cites “requiring vaccinations.” The State of Ohio has never issued a statewide requirement for the COVID-19 vaccine, though some public institutions, like universities and hospitals, have insisted that staff and students receive the vaccine.
DeWine has spoken out against President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for employers, saying, “I think the President made a mistake.”
Who is Terpsehore Maras?
While the lawsuit lists Maras as an Ohio Realtor with a Cleveland address, the same name with slightly different spellings (Terpsichore Maras-Lindeman, Tore Maras) is associated with a pro-Trump North Dakota podcaster who was cited as an expert witness in a 2020 election fraud lawsuit.
An online search of licensed Ohio realtors did not return any licensed realtor in the state with the last name Maras.
If Maras is not a legal resident of Ohio, she would not have the standing to file this lawsuit in the state.
So far, Governor DeWine has issued no official response to the lawsuit.
Lawsuit DeWine COVID Mandates