CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Kevin Cox, who was fined $608.88 for drawing a chalk crosswalk on Elliott Avenue at Second Street SE on May 17 didn’t win his case in court, but he seemed to have won some fans during Monday night’s City Council meeting.

“I am being charged $607 for the paint that didn’t work,” he said as he held up an envelope. “Here’s the money.” He then walked up to the dais and plopped the envelope in front of City Manager Sam Sanders. “There’s a receipt in the envelope. You can sign it now or mail it to me. Thank you.”

Most of the people left in chambers clapped as Cox turned his back on City Council and walked toward the exit.

Sanders sat stone-faced as Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston reached out and requested the envelope, which he then walked over to Clerk of Council Kyna Thomas. Upon return to his seat, Pinkston cleared his throat and asked, “Who’s next?”

The ‘paint’ Cox referred wasn’t a flub. Cox didn’t use a can of paint but a line marker with a can of spray chalk, which leaves a chalk line made to last. Instead of using water to clean the chalk off the road, the city used black paint to cover it up.

Cox was charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor for destruction property, but Charlottesville General District Court Judge Andrew Sneathern reduced it to a Class 3 misdemeanor for the prosecution’s failure to show intent to deface, pointing out that Cox used chalk versus paint to avoid permanent damage.

The judge then ruled that if Cox stays on good behavior — meaning no new criminal charges — for 90 days and paid restitution to the city, the case will be dismissed in October.