Terry Funderburk - VICTORY!

Terry Funderburk is a roofer in South Carolina. He calls himself the Lone Protester, because when he protested against companies hiring illegal aliens, competitors that are putting him out of business by their actions, he was completely alone, aside from his son with a camera across the street. He was arrested for his protest as the illegals scattered. Now, after the long court battle, he has finally achieved victory. The following is the e-mail he sent me this morning.


When the clerk of court read my verdict yesterday I was on pins and needles. I just wanted to jump out of my chair and shout to the heavens. Not guilty. And it was over, just those two little words and everything was alright in my world once again. I am not a defendant any longer because I have been found not guilty. It was like a thousand pounds had been lifted off my chest. There is a God in Heaven. And the Americans on that jury saw the truth and responded just like I figured they would.

When they called me to the witness stand I tried to come across as positive as I could. My lawyer passed me the pictures my son took as he asked questions. And I passed them to the jury. I told them about sitting on that hot road handcuffed and holding my protest sign as high as I could. I passed that picture to them and said I was proud of it. One thing I noticed was that more than one of the jurors was nodding as I was talking. They were really listening to me and seeing that what I was telling them was the truth. They agreed with me!

When the prosecutor started questioning me he said “so your business is doing bad”? I told him exactly like it was, namely that if he was wondering how bad, my business had no work scheduled for this week. That my profits Friday were more than likely to be zero dollars. He tried to make everyone think that I was a racist by the way he asked questions but the judge wouldn’t let him get to the subject of illegal aliens. He tried to stay away from it. But I didn’t do that because that subject was the basis for what I protested. That companies were employing illegal aliens therefore running me out of business. That was why I protested. The jury saw that. That prosecutor got so frustrated with my answers and my lawyers objections and the judge stopping him that he put the jury out of the room. After he admonished the poor fellow the prosecutor said that he had no more questions of me and I was sitting in my chair before the jury came back out. They called my son and he had no questions of him, my employee, or another witness that drove past that day I was arrested. I wanted to bust out laughing because that guy just quit trying to win the case. He just gave up he was so frustrated. Lol.

During closing statements though, the prosecutor tried to make out that I was a liar, that my son was also, my employee and the other witness. That we all lied about what happened that day. The prosecutor wanted to keep his case to a charge of uttering a fighting word so as to stay away from the question of was my constitutional rights violated? The jury saw through that also because how can the word cheap bastard be considered a fighting word, when I was handcuffed in the back seat of a cop car, locked in when I said them? When they found me not guilty they also said that my civil rights were violated.


My local newspaper has an article about it in this morning’s edition. In it I am quoted as saying that I protested because I saw Hispanics on that job and that is not right. I want to set the record straight, one month before I was arrested I bid on that job and the homeowner himself told me that international roofers installed the shingles on that roof for 4 to 5 dollars an hour. That is what top, American roofers got paid in the 1960’s and 70’s. I told the jury the same thing. And they believed me and not him.

I have proven that the justice system can work. When they threaten you on some bullcrap charge you should stand up for your rights come hell or high water. I have went through literal hell the last 8 months, but I stood my ground and the jury was on my side in the end. The jury was composed of 2 white guys, 2 blacks and 2 women and every one of them were American. Through and through. They saw the truth!

There were 18 of my friends and family there again yesterday. Most of them have been in that court room every time I was there. I am overwhelmed by the support they have given me over the months and by the support of people all over this country. There are millions of Americans that are patriots just like me, people that love their country as much as I do. And this small battle that I fought was not only a win for me, it was a win for all of you. Thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.

Lone Protester