A former Virginia lawmaker was acquitted last year of hit-and-run and serious bodily injury charges after he was accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend with his SUV during an argument.
A jury reached the verdict Tuesday following Matt Farris’ trial in Campbell Circuit Court. Faris, who served in the House of Delegates for 12 years, was found guilty of a minor charge of improper driving and ordered to pay a $500 fine.
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During the trial, Faris’ ex-girlfriend, Julie Miles, testified that one of the tires on the SUV lost air and Faris pulled into the parking lot to fix it.
She said Faris was looking for a jack when she called her son for the tools. Miles said Farris became “irritable and vulgar” and she began walking toward her relatives’ home across the street.
Appomattox, Republican Virginia Delegate Matt Farris gestures during a House of Representatives meeting at the state Capitol in Richmond, Jan. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Herber, File)
Miles said Farris started driving away and yelled at him to get back in his car. He then turned her toward her driveway and hit her with her SUV, leaving her with bruises on her knees and wrists, Miles said.
Faris testified that she thought Miles threw his cell phone at her in the car as she made the turn, which caused her to duck. He said Miles then made contact with the side of the car, pushing in the side mirror.
Farris’ attorney, Chuck Felmley, called the charges against his client “overreach.”
“If Matt’s intent was to harm Julie… he did a terrible job,” Felmley said.
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Faris, who previously served as a Republican in the House, ran as an independent in 2023, but lost to Republican Eric Zehr.
