Florida man wins legal battle against county over fines for hanging pro-Trump banners

Marvin Peavy, a Santa Rosa Beach resident, was charged $63,000 by Walton County for hanging banners such as “Trump 2020” and “Trump Now, Trump Won.” The heavily Republican county prohibits political banners outside election years, but Peavy refused to pay the fines of $50 per day, arguing they violated his First Amendment rights, per WJHG.

On Wednesday, a judge ruled in Peavy’s favor, ordering Walton County to pay him $42,000 within 10 days and canceling any uncollected fines. Because of the ruling, Peavy can continue to wave the giant Trump banners from his residence.

“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 WJHG. “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 US Supreme Court has already ruled that you can have signs on your home. They cannot do anything about it.”

Peavy has displayed various pro-Trump signs, including ones calling Trump a “legend” and “bulletproof,” as well as a “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan aimed at former President Joe Biden. He recalled initially being nervous when he hung a banner in 2020, saying someone even threw eggs at it.

“We have rights in this country,” Peavy said after the ruling. “My signs are going to hang regardless.”