The Grapevine Prairie Garden

The 2024 case of high grass and weeds that the city brough against me was dismissed. Here is an email I wrote to my friends and followers on April 10th, the day after it was dismissed:

Hey everyone,

I wanted to let you know that my court case was dismissed. I was scheduled to meet with the prosecutor today at 11 a.m. to discuss moving forward to a jury trial—maybe even strike a deal to avoid it—but yesterday afternoon, the court informed me that the case had been dropped.

At first, I was excited. But when I read the motion to dismiss, I felt a pit in my stomach.

From a list of standard dismissal reasons—no witness, not enough evidence, “the defendant has remedied the nuisance that is the subject of this offense”—the prosecutor checked “Other.” And then she wrote: “Interest of justice – city intends to mow the property upon any further violations.”

This is absolutely chilling.

It means that instead of getting my day in court, the City dismissed my case—and now, they intend to just mow my natives down if they feel I’m in violation. And because the code is so vague and janky, I’m literally at the mercy of code enforcement to interpret and enforce however they want.

Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that people write to the City Council. Please. Please. Please write in. Let them know you do not support the City’s current enforcement policy based on this outdated code.

If the code isn’t rewritten, anyone gardening with native plants could be condemned without a trial—because the City prosecutor has basically said city staff will now be judge, jury, and executioner.

I wrote to the Council last night. That message is below, along with the emails of all the Council members.

wtate@grapevinetexas.gov>, <pslechta@grapevinetexas.gov>, <sharronr@grapevinetexas.gov>, <lleal@grapevinetexas.gov>, <dfreed@grapevinetexas.gov>, <ccoy@grapevinetexas.gov>, <dodell@grapevinetexas.gov>

Dear Council,

I am writing to express deep concern regarding the recent dismissal of my case for “High Grass and Weeds” by the City prosecutor—done without any outreach to me and despite my full readiness to go to trial and present my defense.

While the case has been dismissed, the language in the prosecutor’s explanation strongly suggests they intend to let Code Enforcement proceed with mowing down my native plants regardless—not based on any legal finding or conviction, but purely on their own unilateral interpretation of compliance. In many ways, this outcome is even worse than a trial loss. It feels as though I’ve been declared guilty without a trial, and that any future disagreement with the City could trigger similar enforcement without meaningful process or dialogue.

Am I expected to walk on eggshells indefinitely? This sends a chilling message—that residents may be punished even when the City drops its own case.

I want you to be aware of this situation, and I will also be sharing this development with the media. The public deserves to know that the City may move forward with destructive actions—not because a judge ordered it, not because I was found in violation by a jury of my peers—but simply because they’ve decided so on their own.

I urge you to look into this matter. Due process should never be optional.