In a move that can only be described as
petty and vindictive, the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors has
authorized charges against the landowner of the Virginia Flaggers’
Farmville Rt. 460 High Bridge Memorial Roadside Battle Flag, even after
numerous court victories and pending appeals. She just received notice
that her trial date on new, CRIMINAL charges has been set for NEXT WEEK, DECEMBER 4th at 2:00 PM.
A BRIEF history of the ongoing harassment and persecution:
In the spring of 2022, the memorial flag was raised on private property near Farmville,
Virginia.
Prior to the dedication, a building permit was applied for
and issued, and the final inspection and approval authorized by county
officials.
Almost immediately after it was raised, there were complaints by a
handful of people who did not like the flag. Under pressure, the Prince
Edward County Board of Supervisors met in closed session to enact an
EMERGENCY ordinance prohibiting ANY flag poles over 20’ from being
erected ANYWHERE in the county. They immediately served the landowner
with notice of various, bogus violations and threatened jail time and
fines if the flag was not removed.
The landowner refused to be bullied, and we appealed the charges to the
Prince Edward County of Board of Supervisors, who ruled in our favor,
noting that Virginia State Law says that a building permit cannot be
revoked after 90 days have passed since being issued, and that
everything was done legally and properly. Unsatisfied, the Board of
Supervisors authorized the county to APPEAL this decision. The case was
heard again in the Prince Edward County General District Court and
again, we prevailed. Undeterred, the Board of Supervisors voted AGAIN
to appeal this decision to the State Board of Appeals. That case was
heard earlier this year and we are awaiting the decision.
As of a few months ago, the Board of Supervisors has authorized the
spending of well over $125,000 in taxpayer funds in legal fees alone,
and that amount is likely to double as they continue the persecution.
This does not even take into consideration the time and resources spent
by NUMEROUS county employees on this matter.
In the meantime, in an effort to prevent any further flags from being
flown that may upset a few folks, the Board of Supervisors met in
private to completely revamp the existing flag code, restricting the
number, size, and height of flags that can be flown by county citizens
on their own land.
Once these new, highly restrictive laws were in place, they waited for her to change out the torn and tattered flag for a new one, and
immediately charged the landowner with NEW violations, claiming that
since the NEW restrictions designate a flag as a “sign”, they consider
changing the flag “putting up a new sign” and the flag site must now
comply with the new restrictive laws, which do not allow for the
original (and proper) size flag to fly from the pole.
Again, our landowner refused to back down. She appealed these charges to
the Board of Zoning appeals, (the makeup of which had been changed due
to rotation) who ruled against her this time, and then to the General
District Court where it was dismissed on a technicality. She has appealed that ruling, and is awaiting her day in court in that matter.
NOT SATISFIED, the county has pushed forward with criminal charges
against the landowner and ordered her to appear in court NEXT WEEK,
Wednesday December 4th, at 2:00 PM, where she faces hefty fines and jail
time if she does not remove the “new sign” she installed (commonly referred to as changing
out a weathered flag).
Contact the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors here
Donate to the High Bridge Memorial Battle Flag Legal Defense Fund Here
