Joshua Sear, CEO of the popular rideshare alternative Empower, won't be incarcerated for his company's continued operations in Washington, D.C., after Superior Court Judge Shana Frost Matini agreed on Thursday to stay her contempt order pending a decision from the D.C. Court of Appeals. Empower will likely be able to operate within the nation's capital until at least January 9, when the Superior Court reconvenes for a status hearing.
After a years-long legal battle, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb requested that Sear be incarcerated until Empower complies with a Superior Court order and registers with the city's Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV) as a private vehicle-for-hire company. Earlier this month, the court declined to take Sear into custody on the condition that Empower stop operating as a private vehicle-for-hire company within Washington, D.C., by October 10.
