Man in Santa Suit Arrested Outside of Texas Capitol

On Friday afternoon police in Austin arrested a man who was dressed as Santa Claus.

James Peterson was taken into custody on a criminal mischief charge. He was also accused of evading arrest.

The defendant used chalk to write on the concrete outside of the Texas capitol building. A Texas State Preservation Board worker asked him to stop, but he allegedly refused. A group of protesters gathered at the Travis County courthouse later that day and insisted that writing with washable sidewalk chalk is a constitutionally protected form of free speech.

Houston attorneys The Law Office of Matthew D. Sharp have protected many of their clients against criminal mischief charges. Give them a call today at 713-868-6100 if you were recently arrested.