(Chatham) — A Pittsylvania County man has won his lawsuit against the Board of Supervisors and it’s former Chairman, but damages were set at only one dollar.
Westover resident Jim Scearce claimed Tunstall District Supervisor Vic Ingram and the Board of Supervisors violated his First Amendment rights and falsely imprisoned him at a public meeting November 15th, 2022.
Before the public comment period, Ingram read bylaws that prohibited speakers from naming individual members of the Board in their comments. When Scearce mentioned “the Board’s Chairman,” Ingram, who was Chairman at the time, cut him off. He then ordered deputies to escort Scearce from the building.
Scearce asked $250,000 in damages plus attorney’s fees. The jury denied Scearce’s claims of false imprisonment, but ruled that Ingram and Supervisors had violated his First Amendment rights. The court awarded Scearce only one dollar in damages.
“I am completely happy with the jury’s verdict. I feel vindicated,” Scearce said. “Now that a jury has ruled my First Amendment rights were violated, I am waiting to see what actions the Board of Supervisors will take to address this issue.”
This was the second lawsuit filed by Scearce against Ingram and the Board. A county judge last year dismissed Scearce’s claim that Ingram violated state open meeting laws while renaming a bridge. Scearce is the brother of former Westover District Supervisor Ron Scearce.
“This was a situation where I believed that Scearce was violating the rules but a jury of my peers decided otherwise and I accept and respect their verdict, Ingram said. “I have learned a tremendous lesson in all of this and based on my understanding of the law I was wrong and should have allowed him to speak.”