Two women were arrested on August 12th during the Unite the Right rally. Charges against both were dropped, but one has sued the city and won a settlement. Sandy Hausman has that story.
The city of Charlottesville has settled a suit filed by a woman who was arrested during the Unite the Right rally on August 12th because she took her shirt off. Her lawyer, Jeff Fogel, tells what happened.
“She was there with some men who had their shirts off and some women who had their shits off, and she was playing guitar, and she was there for two hours before two officers came along and arrested her for indecent exposure.”
The Commonwealth’s Attorney refused to prosecute, Fogel says, because going topless is not illegal.
“The law is very clear in Virginia that nudity per se is not illegal, and for indecent exposure it has to appeal to the prurient interest. It has to have some sexual connotation.” :10
But Fogel and his client were still upset.
“On August 12th when we had a police department that would not interfere in gross fighting that was going on, that would not arrest people who had seriously hurt people, they could arrest two women for taking off their shirts.”
So they sued the city, and while they can’t say how much money they’ll get, the two sides have reached a settlement.