Tim Barber’s Big Mouth (Again)

Yesterday, US District Court Judge Michael Urbanski denied Pittsylvania County’s motion to dissolve the injunction that stopped the Board of Supervisors from leading Christian prayers from the dais. If they’re not doing it anymore, why would this injunction still be needed?

Thanks, Tim Barber.

Here’s the relevant part of the judge’s decision…

The Board argues that an injunction is no longer necessary because the Board now opens its meetings with a moment of silence, and prayers, if any, come from citizens during the “Hearing of the Citizens” portion of the meetings. While there is no constitutional problem with the Board’s present practice, the injunction remains necessary to keep the Board from returning to its former unconstitutional prayer practice.(9) The injunction in this case, modified as previously explained, therefore continues to be necessary.

So why would the court think that the Board of Supervisors would go right back to their old behavior? Let’s take a look at Footnote #9 as referenced in the opinion…

For example, in commenting on the Board’s motion to dissolve the injunction, one member of the Board was quoted
in the Chatham Star-Tribune Newspaper as stating: “In the end, God won out as I knew he always would. Hopefully
now this motion to vacate the injunction allows the Board of Supervisors to get back to what we were doing before:
having Christian prayer in Pittsylvania County.” See Resp. to Def. Mot. to Dissolve and/or Modify the Permanent Inj.,
Dkt. No. 116, at 8 n.2 (quoting Tim Davis, County asks judge to lift injunction on prayer, Chatham Star-Tribune, June
25, 2014, available at http://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_ef053478-fc68-11e3-b6f3-0019bb2963f4.html).

Ok, let’s take a look at the relevant part of that Star-Tribune article that caught the judge’s eye…

Tunstall District Supervisor Tim Barber, who was chairman of the board when the ACLU lawsuit was filed, said the board’s prayers were not meant to offend or exclude anyone.

“I have no regrets,” Barber said. “In the end, God won out as I knew he always would. Hopefully now this motion to vacate the injunction allows the Board of Supervisors to get back to what we were doing before: having Christian prayer in Pittsylvania County.”

Well then. Tim Barber’s stupid statement has pretty much made this injunction permanent. that means that there’s no chance of ever getting this decision reversed and Pittsylvania County is going to have to pay over $74,000 in plaintiff’s attorney’s fees for continuing to fight this losing battle.

Hey, Tim Barber? Your big mouth and your cavalier attitude has once again been an embarrassment to Pittsylvania County. This time, you’ve cemented in a $74,000+ financial hit to the county.

Nice going, dumbass.