Stafford’s County Attorney: Confederate Flag Protected

shumate

(Stafford)- Stafford’s County Attorney advised the Board of Supervisors Tuesday night that the Confederate flag along I-95 in the Falmouth area is protected free speech.

“We have no legal or regulatory authority to remove the flag or the flag pole….There’s no limit to First Amendment rights, but there is strict scrutiny….Right now this board’s hands are tied. They cannot do the simple things that one might think they can do. They can’t go out and just arbitrarily mandate to some ordinance change that that flag pole come down or the flag come down. It’s just not Constitutionally permissible.”
Charles Shumate-Stafford County Attorney-9/19/17