ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – A Roanoke County judge dismissed charges against two protesters Thursday who sat in trees in an effort to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Theresa "Red" Terry and her daughter, Minor, were charged with misdemeanor trespassing and obstruction of justice for spending several weeks in a tree stand on their property on Bent Mountain.
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It was an effort to block workers from cutting down trees to construct the controversial pipeline.
The judge said Thursday he was not convinced the Terry's had criminal intent as they sat in the trees that were on their own land.
The Roanoke County Police Department and Virginia State Police spent about $85,000 in response to their tree-sitting protest.