Republican delegate pleads guilty to hit and run charges
Campbell Co., VA - A judge resolved two charges against a Campbell county lawmaker on Friday.
Republican delegate Matt Fariss pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hit and run, after his defense says he caused hundreds of dollars of damage over a 750 feet stretch on Red House Road in Rustburg.
Last summer, Fariss' defense attorney says his soda fell while he was driving, so he reached over to pick it up and ran off the road.
Fariss lost control of his truck, went into a ditch, hit a mailbox, a road sign, and destroyed some fencing.
His attorney admits he was shaken and left the scene, but had the intention of coming back.
He says Fariss couldn't come back later that day due to two flat tires, but the next day he left a note at the homeowner's house and paid for the property damage.
Friday, the judge gave Fariss a $250 fine and accepted his guilty plea.
Another incident involving Fariss happened in January.
Ralph Ramsey filed a misdemeanor breach of peace after a dispute over Fariss' sons parking in his driveway while hunting and blocking it.
Fariss filed his own complaint of misdemeanor abusive language against Ramsey.
The judge decided to find both not guilty and dismiss the case since it was a "he said/she said" situation.
