Washington County Register of Wills James Roman appeared before District Justice Robert Redlinger on Monday to face charges that he carried a weapon into the courthouse on August 20. Roman faced a misdemeanor charge of possession of a firearm in a court facility. That misdemeanor charge was reduced to a summary charge. According to Roman, the hearing lasted nearly 90 minutes before Judge Redlinger found Roman not guilty. Roman told WJPA Radio that the sheriffs department did not stop him immediately at the security gate in the courthouse. Twenty minutes after Roman arrived at his office sheriffs deputies asked him to remove his bag because they determined that he had a gun. During the hearing sheriffs deputies were unable to produce any physical evidence that Roman in fact did have a gun in the courthouse. Roman stated that he feels that this charge was politically motivated since he began speaking out against Washington County Commissioners, specifically Commissioner Chairwoman Diana Irey-Vaughn.