A MAGA-loving Florida homeowner won a lawsuit against Walton County this month after racking up more than $60,000 in unpaid fines for hanging massive pro-Trump banners for several years on the side of his house on County Road 30A.
Walton County code compliance officials told homeowner Marvin Peavy that his various Trump banners violate the scenic corridor code after someone filed a complaint, WJHG reported. Peavy refused to take his banners down, and the county began fining him $50 daily for his displays. Peavy argued the county code violated his First Amendment rights.
“Their laws cannot supersede my First Amendment right, so they came after my constitutional rights which they cannot do. It woke me up as a patriot,” Peavy told NewsChannel 7 in November. “I’m very happy that they came after me and I woke up, I’ve got great lawyers. We feel very good about what’s going on. The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that you can have signs on your home. They cannot do anything about it.”
Peavy has hung several banners since 2020, including ones that read, “Trump 2020, “Trump Now, Trump Won,” “You Missed Trump 2024,” and “Bulletproof,” according to the report.
Peavy and his lawyers ultimately argued in court that the county was violating his First Amendment rights and selectively enforcing county code. The also argued that the county had improperly conducted violation hearings and notices, the report continues.
On March 5, a circuit court judge sides with Peavy and said he can continue flying his gigantic Donald Trump banners.
By November 2024, Peavy was facing $63,000 for the banners. The scenic corridor code allows political banners during election years but begins fining violators 15 days after an election.
“First Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Lewis ruled that no fines or liens shall be assessed, asserted, collected, or established against the property,” the report states.
The judge also ordered Walton County to pay Peavy’s $42,000 in legal fees and fines in the proceeding ten days.
Read the full article here