COURT DISMISSES CHARGES AGAINST GUEST WHO PUT CONFEDERATE FLAG IN HOTEL WINDOW
ACQUITTED SCV MEMBER PREPARES TO SUE
Concord, NC – A local court judge today dismissed charges of criminal trespass against Basil D. (Bazz) Childress, a Sons of Confederate Veterans member who allegedly refused to remove a Confederate flag from his hotel room window when the management demanded that he do so.
The incident occurred at the Wingate Hotel in Concord during the SCV’s 2008 annual National Reunion (Convention). Childress, a bank officer from Lexington, KY, said he had placed the flag in his window to identify his room as the site of an annual social gathering. A desk clerk telephoned the room and asked Childress to remove the flag. Childress said that when he asked the hotel’s manager to explain how having the flag in his window violated his room rental contract, the manager became angry, called police and made the criminal trespass charge. Childress was released on his own recognizance and checked into another hotel.
Prosecution witnesses from the hotel were a no-show at today’s hearing, so the court dismissed the case.
Childress was represented by Charlotte attorney Christopher McCartan, with Kirk D. Lyons of Black Mountain as co-counsel. Lyons, who is Chief Trial Counsel for the Southern Legal Resource Center, said Childress is now preparing to sue Wyndham Hotels, Inc., which owns the Wingate unit.
Concord, NC – A local court judge today dismissed charges of criminal trespass against Basil D. (Bazz) Childress, a Sons of Confederate Veterans member who allegedly refused to remove a Confederate flag from his hotel room window when the management demanded that he do so.
The incident occurred at the Wingate Hotel in Concord during the SCV’s 2008 annual National Reunion (Convention). Childress, a bank officer from Lexington, KY, said he had placed the flag in his window to identify his room as the site of an annual social gathering. A desk clerk telephoned the room and asked Childress to remove the flag. Childress said that when he asked the hotel’s manager to explain how having the flag in his window violated his room rental contract, the manager became angry, called police and made the criminal trespass charge. Childress was released on his own recognizance and checked into another hotel.
Prosecution witnesses from the hotel were a no-show at today’s hearing, so the court dismissed the case.
Childress was represented by Charlotte attorney Christopher McCartan, with Kirk D. Lyons of Black Mountain as co-counsel. Lyons, who is Chief Trial Counsel for the Southern Legal Resource Center, said Childress is now preparing to sue Wyndham Hotels, Inc., which owns the Wingate unit.
posted by Chuck Demastus at
12:08 AM
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