Del. Wren Williams found not guilty of assault and battery charges against Marie March
Del. Wren Williams found not guilty of assault and battery charges against Marie March
March accused Williams of assault during a GOP fundraiser in March.
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Williams found not guilty of assault and battery charges against Marie March
On Wednesday, Del. Wren Williams was found not guilty on a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery against his Republican colleague Del. Marie March. March accused Williams of the assault during a GOP event in September.
According to multiple sources and reporting from Cardinal News at the time, Williams was leaving a fundraiser in Wytheville with his pregnant wife when he says he accidentally bumped into March. According to Williams and his team, he immediately turned around and apologized before leaving.
Later that night, police officers questioned Williams about the interaction and this is when he found out that March had pressed charges.
In the complaint, which can be viewed here, March wrote: “my opponent intentionally pushed/shoulder slammed into me in front of a large group of people.”
A March staffer at the time gave the Washington Post an account of her side of the interaction saying she was not harmed but was knocked off balance.
“He had interjected himself into several conversations. He would step in and give a very aggressive statement that wasn’t pertinent,” the staffer for March told the Washington Post. The staffer continued to say that Williams “in my belief deliberately bumped into her … She wasn’t harmed. It knocked her off-balance but didn’t knock her down. There is a considerable disparity in size.”
In a statement Wednesday, Williams responded to the judge’s ‘not guilty’ ruling and dismissal of the case.
“I am grateful that the truth has come out and justice has been served. I am especially thankful for my family, friends, and supporters who stood by us. I am thankful they have been vindicated,” he said. “From the start, March brought these charges as a political hit-job. March has a pattern of using the criminal justice system to target people who stand in her way. This was a desperate move and it’s clear March is unhinged. I am grateful March’s allegations were proven false in court, so this controversy can officially be put to rest.”
Williams and March are facing off for the same Republican nomination this year after redistricting in 2021 placed them in the same House district.
Virginia Scope has reached out to March for comment.
