Pickleball Billy’s Jail Stint Sparks Outcry: William Leonard Hartig, also known as “Pickleball Billy,” is currently in jail on trespassing charges. The 78-year-old, a well-known USA Pickleball ambassador in The Villages, Florida, was arrested after being caught crossing onto his neighbor’s property in the Hallandale Villas, a community in the Village of St. Charles. He had previously been banned from the property by a trespassing order.
Background of the Arrest
Hartig’s original arrest occurred when surveillance footage showed him crossing onto his neighbor’s property, despite being formally banned. The neighbor, a man in his 70s, had issued the trespassing order. After being released on bond, Hartig was arrested again when he encountered the same neighbor at a local postal station.
Neighbor’s Support
Nancy Falknor, a neighbor of Hartig, has written a letter to the judge in his case. In the letter, Falknor described Hartig as a man of faith who had once saved a neighbor’s life. She expressed sadness over the ongoing feud between Hartig and the neighbor, calling it senseless.
Falknor added that it was unfortunate that the neighbors could not resolve their issues and urged the judge to find a peaceful solution. “Seems the neighbor and he cannot get along,” Falknor wrote in the letter.
“It’s so sad. The Villages, Friendliest Hometown, neighbors would go to such extreme measures as this. Why couldn’t they come together and reason the problems out? We all have problems and I think these situations are of no harm.” – (Falknor)
Legal Proceedings
A jury trial for Hartig was originally scheduled for May 5, but a continuance has been ordered. A new status conference is set for June 10. Hartig will remain in jail until his next court appearance.
News in Brief: Pickleball Billy’s Jail Stint Sparks Outcry
William Leonard Hartig, known as “Pickleball Billy,” remains in jail on trespassing charges after a dispute with a neighbor in The Villages, Florida. His neighbor, Nancy Falknor, has written a letter of support, asking for a peaceful solution to the ongoing feud. A status conference is set for June 10.
ALSO READ: Pickleball Billy’s Second Arrest Shocks The Villages Community