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Man arrested for leaving flowers on fiancee’s grave found guilty of littering
Washington Post ^ | June 11, 2022 | Timothy Bella

Posted on 06/13/2022 7:53:40 AM PDT by grundle

An Alabama man who planted flowers on the gravesite of his fiancee and was arrested at the direction of the woman’s disapproving father was found guilty of littering this week.

About a month after Winston “Winchester” Hagans got engaged, his fiancee, Hannah Ford, was killed in a three-car crash in January 2021 that shattered what was supposed to be the happiest time of their lives. To honor the 27-year-old, Hagans placed a planter box full of fresh flowers and photos of the two of them on her grave in Auburn, Ala.

But earlier this year, Hagans was arrested on a charge of criminal littering. City officials had reassured him that he could put the planter at Ford’s gravesite unless there was a complaint. Then he discovered that a complaint had been filed — by the Rev. Tom Ford, his fiancee’s father.

“The police don’t enforce the law unless the owner of the plot tries to do something about it,” Hagans told The Washington Post earlier this year, adding that his late fiancee’s father did not approve of their relationship.

Hagans was convicted Thursday on one count of criminal littering and ordered to pay about $300 in fines and court costs, the Opelika-Auburn News reported. The 32-year-old man was also given a suspended jail sentence of 30 days that will remain suspended as long as Hagans does not place any more flowers or planter boxes on his fiancee’s grave.

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TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: 78minutes; chat; gonnaneedbiggerdonut; localnews
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To: cuban leaf
Suddenly the story makes sense.

Not really. It still doesn't look like "litter."

41 posted on 06/13/2022 8:39:27 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: grundle
....But in our new America you can burn down police precincts!!
42 posted on 06/13/2022 8:40:16 AM PDT by high info voter (Delivery )
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To: grundle

sicko police
sicko father in law

sick sick sick


43 posted on 06/13/2022 8:42:25 AM PDT by faithhopecharity (“Politicians are not born. They’re excreted.” Marcus Tillius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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To: grundle

Regardless of his feelings, that property is owned and maintained by her father. It’s time to back off and stop bothering her parents.

Her boyfriend could create his own tribute to her, far away from that gravesite. He could buy a small tree or a flowering bush. Her parents don’t ever need to know about it.


44 posted on 06/13/2022 8:42:53 AM PDT by lee martell
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To: ObozoMustGo2012

“Maybe the father could have been less of a doosh and offered to collaborate with the fiance on a meaningful memorial that both could be on board with....”

Maybe the dude should have respected cemetery rules and the father’s wishes.


45 posted on 06/13/2022 8:43:14 AM PDT by TexasGator (UF)
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To: V_TWIN

Really?

Don’t get me started on Florida Man!


46 posted on 06/13/2022 8:45:02 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Rush, we're missing your take on all of this!)
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To: Repealthe17thAmendment

“the loss of his daughter would be enough for the father to let go of anger”

As a man that’s supposed to be leading and teaching people to be more like Jesus he should be ashamed of himself.

If I was a member of his congregation I would have to seriously consider finding a new home Church.


47 posted on 06/13/2022 8:47:56 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave)
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To: DiogenesLamp

“If this is correct it helps to make more sense out of the story, but it should still never have gotten to the “conviction” phase. The judge should have told him to clean it up and stop doing it and then the judge should have dismissed the case.”

I am OK with the small fine and court costs.

The photo of the cemetery looks similar to my families. His boxes were not IAW rules and looked out of place.


48 posted on 06/13/2022 8:47:59 AM PDT by TexasGator (UF)
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To: Joe 6-pack
Rev. Stephenson celebrated his daughter's wedding by going to the Catholic church a few hours later and killing the priest that performed the ceremony.

Now Methodist-Episcopals have tranny ministers, promote and celebrate gay marriage and gay adoption, and have turned churches into pagan galleries. How times change!

49 posted on 06/13/2022 8:49:55 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: DiogenesLamp

“That may be so, and he may have a legal right to act like an obnoxious bitch, but the court should have simply told the guy to remove the flowers and then dismissed the case.”

Not flowers but wooden planters he placed 10 times even after being told they were no allowed by cemetery rules.


50 posted on 06/13/2022 8:50:07 AM PDT by TexasGator (UF)
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To: cuban leaf; All

He was told it was ok to do unless there was a complaint. This is about his would be father in law being a spiteful p*** in the wake of his daughter’s death. The reality is she chose this made to be her husband. Now her father disrespects her in death. I don’t find the flower box in poor taste. He’s clearly grieving and trying to honor her and their relationship


51 posted on 06/13/2022 8:51:07 AM PDT by newzjunkey (“We Did It Joe!” -The Taliban / “Thanks Joe!” -Putin)
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To: V_TWIN

Every place has bizarre folks.

Alabama does have mountains of strangeness in her folk.


52 posted on 06/13/2022 8:51:12 AM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal (Jesus + Something = Nothing ; Jesus + Nothing = Everything )
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To: Graybeard58
The fiancee’s father owns the grave.

True. And also, apparently, the demons fluttering around in his head.

53 posted on 06/13/2022 8:53:55 AM PDT by Empire_of_Liberty
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To: TexasGator
I am OK with the small fine and court costs.

I don't consider $300.00 to be a small fine. I also think court costs can be pretty expensive nowadays. I seem to recall they were $85.00 for municipal court the last time I heard.

But why do people have to add pain to someone, even if they are in the wrong? Why is there no common sense or "heart" to these actions?

His boxes were not IAW rules and looked out of place.

A lot of people nowadays can't tell "tacky" when they see it. If the father cleaned it up 10 times, then the court should have handled it, but they should have handled it better than they did.

54 posted on 06/13/2022 8:55:10 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: Roman_War_Criminal; Joe 6-pack

Maybe it’s something in the water. 😏


55 posted on 06/13/2022 8:56:18 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave)
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To: Robert DeLong

“City officials had reassured him that he could put the planter at Ford’s gravesite unless there was a complaint.”

The cemetery is owned by the city. The city told him the boxes weren’t allowed and he was warned legal action would be forthcoming if he continued.


56 posted on 06/13/2022 8:58:04 AM PDT by TexasGator (UF)
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To: DiogenesLamp

“If the father cleaned it up 10 times, then the court should have handled it, but they should have handled it better than they did.”

He was warned by the city (owner of the cemetery) and still continued placing the boxes.

The court handled it just fine.


57 posted on 06/13/2022 9:00:35 AM PDT by TexasGator (UF)
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To: V_TWIN; TexasGator
As a man that’s supposed to be leading and teaching people to be more like Jesus he should be ashamed of himself.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

58 posted on 06/13/2022 9:00:54 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: grundle

A father forbidding a 27-year-old daughter to see a guy for thirty days seems unusual as well. Obviously, the father did not like who his daughter was dating. I suspect religious differences. The pictures are probably triggering the father and I suspect the boyfriend is doing it partially for spite. They need a plain vase that anyone could put flowers in.


59 posted on 06/13/2022 9:01:29 AM PDT by alternatives? (The only reason to have an army is to defend your borders.)
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To: Magnum44

All in good taste.


60 posted on 06/13/2022 9:02:40 AM PDT by moovova
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