Kentucky Woman Released After Vandalizing WWII Memorial

A 41-year-old Kentucky resident, Melissa L. Farris, was accused of defacing the World War II Memorial on the National Mall with neon-orange spray-painted words and additional pink and green graffiti. The vandalism was discovered in mid-August inside the memorial’s Atlantic Theatre Pavilion, and a park ranger also reported foam in the nearby fountain. After a hearing, a federal judge ordered her release on a personal recognizance bond, requiring surrender of her passport, a prohibition on leaving the United States, and a stay-away order from the veterans’ memorial.

The Hill

Farris faces two felony counts: depredation against property of the United States and destruction of veterans’ memorials. Each count carries a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. The charges stem from the alleged graffiti and the alleged admission of the act in videos posted to her social-media accounts.

The Hill

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office filed a motion shortly after the hearing urging the judge to keep Farris detained pending trial. The filing argued that Farris’s “history and characteristics” present a serious risk of flight and non-compliance with release conditions. Prosecutors also characterized her behavior as “defiant and outspoken” before, during, and after the incident, suggesting that any expressed remorse was insincere.

The Hill

• “Defendant’s actions, as well as her history and characteristics, demonstrate that she presents a serious risk of flight and non-compliance with release conditions that requires her detention pending trial,” — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro

The Hill

• “I am going to make these choices today and I will step foot into the courtroom, and I will wait to be arrested. … I am accountable for the things that I do and the choices that I make, and our government needs to be accountable,” — Melissa L. Farris, the judge

The Hill

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for early September. The outcome of that hearing will determine whether Farris remains under the current release conditions or faces pre-trial detention.

The Hill