Collin and Tarrant County judges say they won’t issue mask mandates

FORT WORTH, Texas - The Tarrant County and Collin County judges both said they will not follow Dallas County's lead and issue a mask mandate.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley would not get into specifics when we asked him if he supports the idea of a mask mandate.

"What I agree with is local control," he said. "And I think that's the way you've got you should be going all of the time."

Whitley said he asked the county district attorney if its legal to do what Dallas County did, but he believes his hands are tied. 

"Our DA says you are an agent of the governor. And as such, then you must follow whatever orders he puts out," Whitley said. "And so for me, that makes it pretty cut and dry there."

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Collin County Judge Chris Hill said he will not issue an order because he wants to protect individual rights. 

The city of Denton is holding an emergency meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss the issue.

Of the seven members of the council, the Denton Record Chronicle reports four have shown support of defying the governor’s order which bans mask mandates.

A mask mandate is now in effect in Dallas County. It applies to most businesses and county buildings, as well as public schools and child care centers.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins issued the order after a Dallas County district judge sided with him in a lawsuit over Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already filed an appeal. He’s also threatened legal action against any public school, public university or government that defied Abbott’s order.

Paxton said he’s confident the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court will side with the governor.

RELATED: Dallas County mask mandate starts Thursday due to COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak