2014 graffiti at Legacy of Love monument
Former Dallas City Council candidate Richard Sheridan has been given felony deferred adjudication probation in 2014 graffiti cases that targeted the LGBT community.
Sheridan entered the first half of his plea to graffiti charges on Thursday, Feb. 11. His case was reset for a pre-sentence investigation and evaluation. A restitution hearing will be held on April 15 to determine the amount of restitution to be paid as a condition of probation.
Sheridan was arrested in March 2015 for spray painting “666” on the Legacy of Love monument on the corner of Cedar Springs Road and Oak Lawn Avenue in June 2014. He also was accused of tagging Cathedral of Hope property and sidewalks in front of The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine and The Observer. Dallas Voice distribution boxes were defaced as well. Tagging attributed to Sheridan was later found in Dallas City Hall’s parking garage as well.
According to Assistant Criminal District Attorney Gary McDonald, Sheridan is being placed on felony deferred adjudication probation for a period of two years in each case, as charged.
“This means his plea is to ‘Graffiti of a Monument/Church with the Hate Crime allegation,’ a third degree felony,” McDonald wrote. “He will be fined $1,000.00 in each case, but the fine will be probated because he is indigent.”
Sheridan will be prohibited from contacting either location as a condition of community supervision. As part of the pre-sentence investigation, he will be referred for a mental health/dual diagnosis evaluation to determine appropriate conditions of community supervision in each case.
The amount of restitution to Cathedral of Hope has not yet been determined. The church cleaned the graffiti at its own expense. The Oak Lawn Committee cleaned the monument. Defacing a public monument or a church carries higher penalties than other targets. Hate crime charges can be attached to those as well since they specifically targeted the LGBT community.
