Mom & the 4yo's drawinghttp://www.ksee24.com/news/local/Dau...164939906.htmlA 4-year-old's drawing of a "door to a magic land" earned a Richmond, Virginia mom a $325 fine, a ban from all city parks and a whopping 50 hours of community service.
Susan Mortensen was ticketed in March for allowing her daughter to draw with chalk on the rocks at Belle Isle, a granite-studded park in the James River.
According to Officer Stacy Rogers, the girl was "destroying" property and Mortensen was at fault for allowing her to do it.
Thursday, a judge agreed with the officer, charging Mortensen with vandalism and ordering her to spend 50 hours of her free time painting boundary posts for the park service.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2...ck-ar-2099254/Susan M. Mortensen, 29, was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service work with the James River Park System by Judge Tristram T. Hyde IV. The work must be completed by Jan. 3 or she faces a $2,500 fine.
A police officer testified that on March 18 Mortensen, who was with a group of 10 to 12 people, indicated the chalk drawing was done by her daughter. She was verbally abusive when told that drawing on the rocks was not allowed, the officer testified.
Her lawyer, G. Brian Tacey, told the judge Tuesday that she realizes she overreacted and was sorry for her confrontation with the police.
Tacey said after Tuesday's hearing that the judge essentially took the case under advisement and if she complies with the community service order the charge will be dismissed.
http://www.nbc12.com/story/19157617/...-at-belle-isleMortensen will have to paint about 200 boundary posts west and east of the Boulevard Bridge. Before she even starts, she'll have to scrape off the old paint and remove surrounding weeds. It's vital to finish the project before the weather gets too cold for the paint to stick.
The parks manager says he'd like to set a date before Thanksgiving. Mortensen's supporters say they're still upset she was charged for letting her daughter draw on the rocks. Police and park leaders say chalk is the same as graffiti.
"There's no way to compare two," Meg McLain with Virginia Cop Block. "When you spray paint something, it's pretty much there. But when you chalk something, it rains, it's gone. You'll never know."
"It is all the same thing," said James River Park Systems Park Manager, Ralph White. "A couple of weeks ago, I was covering over pornographic drawings done in chalk. It doesn't matter what the medium is. It's offensive."
Even though both sides share their point-of-views, they agreed on a common ground to help beautify the James River Park System.
Back in 2010, court documents show the same officer issued Mortensen a summons for destruction of property on Belle Isle.
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