Fayette County officials hope to recover $75,000 the county paid to settle a civil rights case involving the Universal Church of Love and Music, where a drug raid netted 23 arrests over the weekend.

The settlement, approved in March by U.S. District Chief Judge Donetta W. Ambrose, was supposed to end a lawsuit in which the non-traditional, non-denominational church claimed religious discrimination against the county for failing to issue it a special exception permit to hold its concerts on church property.

The county, however, argues in a motion filed yesterday in federal court that the church, which includes a campground and concert venue, violated the agreement by permitting drug use at the facility, which was specifically prohibited in the 12-page settlement.

"[T]here is no question that the spirit of the agreement to prevent illegal activity was also violated," attorneys for the county wrote in the motion.

The Fayette County Drug Task Force raided the church's daylong Funk Fest on Saturday, arresting 23 people on drug and paraphernalia charges.

They recovered marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms and LSD, as well as glass pipes and snacks laced with marijuana.

In its motion, the county wrote that it had no knowledge of the plans to raid the property.

It is asking the court to permanently stop Willie Pritts, who operates the church, from having any further events.

Concerts are scheduled for Aug. 8, 15, 22 and 29, as well as something called the Boykin Ball on Sept. 11-13.

Attached to the county's motion was the application for the search warrant the drug task force executed last weekend. It details two previous trips to the church property made by undercover officers in May and July.

During the July visit, a man on the property told two of the undercover officers, that they "throw out the cocaine and heroin dealers, we don't put up with that, and all we do is smoke a little herb and maybe make some money. Everybody just wants to have a good time," according to the warrant.

Later, though, he insinuated that the men were police officers, the paperwork said. "Upon walking out of the area, all officers were called pigs and 'oink,' 'oink' was yelled several times."

Later, when the officers got to their car, two ATVs started circling them, "with one riding very aggressive and close ... kicking up dirt, grass, and gravel onto the vehicle."

Judge Ambrose has set a telephone conference on the matter for 12:30 p.m. today.