Aug 4, 2009 4 min read

Fayette County officials are consulting with attorneys to determine what course of action they can take after police raided the Church of Universal Love and Music in Bullskin Township on Saturday. Members of the county’s drug task force and state police alleged that 23 people were violating drug laws by possessing either drugs or drug paraphernalia. The arrests would go down as a routine bust, but the church, founded by Willie Pritts, is under a federal settlement order with the county. He sued the county in 2006, claiming his religious rights were violated when the county refused him zoning to operate his music-based church.

The case was set to go to trial earlier this year, but two of the three county commissioners reached a settlement agreement with Pritts that paid out $75,000 and allowed to host a limited number of concerts.

Among the stipulations associated with the settlement was that there be no illegal activity, including drug use, no nudity and that concerts be held only during certain hours. The settlement does not address the validity of the church’s beliefs.

Attorney Marie M. Jones, who hammered out the settlement on behalf of the county, said that the agreement “provides for the ability to pursue enforcement through both federal court, and the county’s zoning rules and regulations.”

Essentially, that means that the county could ask the federal judge who signed off the order to find Pritts and the church in contempt. They could also file zoning violations in Fayette County Court.

Or, said Jones, they could opt to do both.

Commission Chairman Vincent Zapotosky and Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites, both of whom signed the settlement in March, said they are consulting with attorneys to determine the best course of action.

“It’s clear there are activities going on that violate aspects of the federal order. I’m going to rely on our legal team to move quickly and effectively to make sure the residents of Fayette County are protected,” he said.

“We cannot tolerate this type of activity. We’re going to do everything we possibly can to protect the citizens of Bear Rocks and the citizens of Fayette County,” Vicites said.

Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink did not return a phone message or e-mail requesting comment.

District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon said she plans to discuss the raid with county officials, but said Monday that she has no involvement in the civil or zoning proceedings.

Although Pritts’ attorney, Gregory Koerner, said that the raid was set up with county officials to target the church and find a “trumped-up basis to shut it down,” Vernon said she was not in contact with officials before Saturday’s raid.

Koerner said the matter has left Pritts feeling “victimized and outraged.”

“Mr. Pritts is a businessman in the community. He’s an honest man. He’s trying to do a good thing in the community, and for the people, and he’s being harassed and abused by various offices of the county,” he said.

Any penalties for allegedly violating the federal settlement would be up to Chief U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose, who handled the case. Similarly, a Fayette County Common Pleas judge would hear evidence and determine if there should be any penalties imposed for violating zoning ordinances.

The zoning office has the ability to file violations because, in the settlement, the county essentially agreed to a set of zoning-related conditions under which Pritts could use his 42 acres in Acme to hold six weekend and six Saturday concerts yearly.

Other conditions included in the settlement included limits on the number of people in attendance, having security and restrictions on the noise level.

On its Web site, the Church of Universal Love and Music also lists rules. While no illegal drugs or underage drinking are on the list, the first rule is treating others with respect.

“Follow it daily to create peace on Earth,” the site indicated.

Keeping dogs on a leash on church grounds, no cutting down live trees and no littering also are listed. Those who break the rules would be expelled, the site states.