CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – In what figures to be a complex First Amendment case, the lawyer for the state trooper accused of leaving a threatening note on a neighbor’s door said Wednesday he intends to argue that the note did not threaten physical violence but warned of the possibility of an arrest, and that – within the law enforcement community – the phrase “F— around and find out,” carries a meaning that doesn’t inherently suggest violence.
State trooper Logan Pingley is facing a felony charge of extortion in writing after leaving a threatening on an Albemarle County woman’s door in November 2024. He appeared in Albemarle County Circuit Court on Wednesday for an evidentiary hearing.
Judge Cheryl Higgins did not rule on defense motions regarding potential evidence and lines of questioning, but did move up the start time for Pingley’s June 26 bench trial by three hours, to 10 a.m., to allow more time for witnesses and arguments…