Rom Reddy spent plenty of time in Columbia this month ripping South Carolina’s coastal protection agency while trying to persuade a judge to overturn a $289,000 state fine for building what state regulators say is an illegal seawall at his oceanfront home on the Isle of Palms.

Now, it’s up to Administrative Law Judge Ralph King Anderson III to decide a case that could affect how South Carolina protects its beaches in coming years.

The trial ended Tuesday as Reddy and state officials continued to spar over the seawall construction effort along the beach between the Atlantic Ocean and the wealthy Charleston County resident’s house. It could be several months before Anderson issues a ruling that could either uphold or set aside the $289,000 state fine and an order to remove the seawall.