Commonwealth of Virginia v. Samuel Harris, s/k/a Samuel Harris, jr.

Chesterfield, Virginia, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with obscene sexual display.



On August 6, 2022, two women were in Rockwood Park at pavilion three setting up for a gender reveal party. As the women were walking from the parking lot to pavilion three, they observed a man, Samuel Harris, huddled on the gravel trail. Harris was naked, wearing a blonde wig, with khaki pants and fishnet stockings around his ankles. As they hurried past Harris, he turned to face them and was stroking his erect penis "vigorously." Harris made eye contact with each woman as they ran back to their vehicle.



When the women got into their vehicle, one of them called 911. Sergeant Warren Ball with the Chesterfield County Police Department met the women in the parking lot, and as he was interviewing them, Harris emerged from the woods. They identified Harris as the man they had seen on the trail earlier. When Sergeant Ball went to speak with Harris, Harris explained that he was changing his clothes on the trail because the bathroom was occupied. Harris stated that he was putting on the fishnet undergarments because he liked to wear women's clothing under his work uniform. Sergeant Ball recovered the blonde wig which was held in a yellow bag from inside of Harris's pants. Sergeant Ball obtained a warrant for Harris's arrest based on a misdemeanor committed outside of his presence, and officers later arrested Harris at Walmart, where he worked. Harris was charged with two counts of obscene sexual display.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded in part.