A nine-year battle in state and federal courts to uphold her First Amendment right to practice her faith in the workplace ended on Nov. 18 as Barronelle Stutzman announced her retirement and sale of the flower shop at the center of the case to its employees. Stutzman, 77, from Richland, Washington, told reporters in a Washington, D.C. news conference that she has agreed to pay $5,000 to the plaintiffs and her attorneys will withdraw her request to the Supreme Court that it reconsider its rejection earlier this year of her appeal of a lower court decision. Asked by a reporter how she feels after such a long legal battle, she said that “it will be nice to get back to normal, though I am not sure what that is.” She added: “You know the fight is not over, I will continue to support whoever I can. This is not just …