James Alex Fields found guilty of killing Heather Heyer during violent Charlottesville white nationalist rally
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
James Alex Fields Jr. was found guilty on Friday of killing Heather Heyer when he plowed his car into a group of counterprotesters last year at a "Unite the Right" rally that quickly turned violent in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Fields, 21, was convicted on all counts, including first-degree murder in connection to Heyer's death and five counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of malicious wounding and one hit and run count for injuring dozens of others with his vehicle.
In addition, Fields — who a former teacher said was fascinated by Nazism and Hitler — was charged with 30 federal hate crimes. He's been on trial since November for the murder charge and still faces trial on the additional charges.
After deliberating seven hours, the jury found that Fields deliberately rammed his car into the crowd after the rally, which was organized in part to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Present in the courtroom for the verdict were Fields' mother and Susan Bro, Heyer's mother. Fields, wearing glasses and a light blue sweater over a collared shirt, stared straight ahead as the verdicts came in.
He faces 20 years to life in prison for the murder charge. Sentencing is expected to begin Monday, when Bro and eight victims of the attack will provide testimony.
The jury will then deliberate before the judge announces the sentencing.
Bro did not comment to reporters as she left court. Wednesday Bowie, who was injured in the attack, said after the verdict that "I could not be more ecstatic."
"This is the best I’ve been in a year-and-a-half," Bowie said. She suffered a broken pelvis, among other injuries, the Associated Press reported.
During the trial, Fields’ attorney, John Hill, argued that he panicked and was scared when he drove his Dodge Challenger into the group in August 2017 after hours of violent fights breaking out in the streets between rally attendees and counterprotesters.
Hill told jurors that Fields "feared for his safety," and at one point was remorseful that people had gotten injured.
Prosecutors, however, argued that Fields was angry that day over the fighting taking place between the two sides. Prosecutor Nina-Alice Antony pointed out that Fields, twice posted on Instagram before the rally an image of a group of people getting struck by a car.
"This case is about his decision to act on that anger," Antony said.
Prosecutors also played surveillance video showing Fields driving his car slowly towards the group, reversing and then speeding into them.
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Thoughts?
Ya, it's murder. We knew that.
I can't help but wonder if this guy was actually so desperate to stand out in admiration from his peers that he never thought through the "what if's" before he stepped on the gas.
I really think in the back of his brain that 5 years down the road they would all be in a bar telling the glory story all over again how "Jimmy" plowed in to those those lefties and did you see that guy fly over that roof to get away? Never thinking that Hollywood was 3000 miles away and a 3000 lb car would kill someone. We now know through his jailhouse phone call that he wasn't educated at home, just heard the word "nigger" enough to blindly hate.
meh, the contract on his life is probably a case of ramen in the joint.
This guy deserves the needle or to ride the lightning. There is no room for that kind of pre-planned murder or hate for that matter, inthis country.
Put an end to this clown's 15 minutes of fame and let his suffering begin.
Yes, it was murder....will trump pardon this "fine person"
I doubt it, (seriously), but I doubt there would be many that would be surprised if he did.
And of course somebody has to bring up Trump even though he has nothing to do with the story. And for the ten thousandth time: it wasn't guys like this Trump was talking about. He was talking about 66% of the country who support not moving monuments.
Trump has EVERYTHING to do with one of his 'fine people' murdering Heyer. He has everything to do with the white supremacist rally taking place at all. No President Trump; no rally. It's that simple.
"No President Trump; no rally. It's that simple."
I would really like to see what evidence or logic supports that. Confederate monuments were being torn down under cover of night before Trump was ever elected or even nominated. Racial tensions were already sore due to the vilification of police who did nothing wrong under the Obama administration. Trump had nothing to do with this happening except in left wing conspiracy circles.
Well said. The level of Trump derangement on this subject is frightening.
Your comment is a lie.
Wow. The left wants to eliminate even more civil rights than I thought...
Ramando,
He was not there to protest the moving of the Confederate monuments. He was there to spread hate. He was there marching the night before, saying the "The Jews will not replace us". "N" will not replace us.
I'm not good with that. Are you?
The removal of the monument was the reason for the protest.
Sure. It's a key part of his/their ideology.
Which, when you think about it, are both such obviously true statements that one wonders about the need to repeat them. And yes, the Friday night march was illegal and dispersed by authorities.
The Constitution is good with it, so I am. I don't need to agree with somebody's ideology to allow them to express it. The Constitution demands that of me. It is Rule 1 of being an American.
Personally, I believe anybody who supports Bernie Sanders lacks the basic intelligence to go out in public without adult supervision, but the Constitution demands that we allow even those people to speak.
I'm not good with that at all but I'm also not good with Trump being blamed for every antisocial action in the country. To say like some have that Trump encouraged this is absurd.
Nonsense.
Donald Trump is responsible for EVERY murder, rape, robbery, assault, and grammatical error everywhere in the world.
Except split infinitives. But he has yet to demonstrate any willingess to decisively care about those.
Your civil rights end when you intentionally plow a woman down.
Youi should really add the /sarc tag to these tyes of comments...the TDS sufferers will take you at your word.
Emotionally, I agree with you, but in reality, prisoners, time and time again, the courts have ruled that they do in fact have civil rights.
Is the guy a dirt bag POS that deserves whatever end he gets? Hell, yes.
You wish.
Umm....Trump didnt say that! He said there was many fine people on both sides AT THE RALLY that happened that FRIDAY! You know the fine people who was carrying tiki torches yelling "Jews will not replace us!" and "Blood and soil!"
You don't seem to have a problem taking the word of a proven serial liar.
If people are that stupid, they deserve the trauma then inflict upon themselves.
No it wasn't it was the Unite the White or Right rally.
Which was organized because they were removing the monument.
Whew! Thanks for clearng that up. I thought it was because we were being replaced by Jews and a shortage of tiki torches.
Happy to help.
Nope. Monument removal. Yet another group of batshit nutjobs protesting democracy in action.
Hang him high.
Unless he ends up on death row, they need to keep him out gen pop where his other ilk will make him a hero for what he did.
Quite the opposite actually. The inmates are watching this I guarantee. They will know what prison he will be going to before he gets on the bus.
What they saw was a pasty momma's boy that was a wannabe at best. He'll get picked up by aryan nation but not as a hero. For hero status he's going to have to come out swinging, he won't make it.
Instead, he'll be a punk, but protected, meaning he won't be killed by non whites or in violation of woman rules. He'll be rented out and with that "available space" he"ll also be a mule
Eventually his life will become routine, hell is coming for him first.
Your take on this is incorrect. He will be hated and loathed by every group in prison, except one - the Nazi types and they will use him for sexual pleasure until one of the other groups kill him. His life sentence will likely only take up a few months.
Yep.
He'll sit in isolation for a short time and then be introduced to the boys.
Everyone thinks they know about prisons and inmates until they become one or work at one.
I love looking at some of the comments knowing they don't know the first fucking thing...
24/7 protection in the joint by the neo-nazis and white supremacists will leave a bad taste in his mouth
And farts with sound will be a distant memory.
He'll be some Aryan Butch's prag
I watch too much "Oz"
Is that still on?
I watch it on Netflix...Amazon Prime...one of those streaming services
You would not believe the butt tatts I saw...
KISS >0< THIS
"Cash only"
And many more!
Man, I bet you have some stories.
I hope you are right.
What jumps to the forefront of my mind is how sad it is that we have a president who is a consistent apologist for Nazis and white supremacists. Trump and his enablers have Heather Heyer's blood on their hands, ditto Jamal Khashoggi's
I could just as easily say Obama was an apologist for radical Muslims by refusing to specifically condemn them and he has the blood on his hands from the Ft Hood, San Bernardino and Pulse club shootings, as well as his downplaying of Isis.
And of course somebody has to bring up Obama even though he has nothing to do with the story.
But that seems to be par for the course when trying to defend trump.
It is easier than learning about trump though so here I'll help make it easier:
A few links leading to the virtues of America’s great 45 th president :
trump%20cheats &qs=ds&form=QBRE
trump%20lies %20about&qs=ds&form=QBRE
trump%20threatens &qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=trump%20threatens&sc=8-15&sk=&cvid=4DDE8991FBD24AE3BFF76D503255794C
trump%20insults &qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=trump%20insults&sc=8-13&sk=&cvid=C2D6F37D1B074D3D8DF948A079BCA4DA
trump+intimidates
trump%20manipulates &sc=7-17&sk=&cvid=022650A1464F4889811C45D287C1A775
trump+bankruptcy+history &go=Search&qs=ds&form=QBRE
Now people can learn how to defend trump and maybe leave Obama out of it.
LOL
I notice you didn't say anything when Trump was brought up even though he was not part of the story. And I could bring up a random list of Internet searches about Obama to match the TDS list you posted.
I wasn't here when trump was first brought up. I was when Obama was brought up and I have no doubt anyone could bring up the same list with Obama's name, The difference would be if one actually read what is in the list.
"And of course somebody has to bring up Obama even though he has nothing to do with the story."
A stupid thing to say when bringing Trump into the story. I suggest introspection.
And I would say you are right. I believe in calling a spade a spade. He should have said '"Islamic extremist" or "Islamic Terrorist" but he didn't. Trump should have said " Neo Nazis" but he didn't. Two wrong don't make a right.
"And of course somebody has to bring up Trump even though he has nothing to do with the story."
I agree.
The "The previous guy did it, so it is okay if the new guy does it too." justification excuse is sooooo tired.
And yet, you landed right here, didn't bother to read anything else, but were willing to jump in.
so ?
It's a helluva silly way to involve one's self in a conversation, but hey, if makes you happy, keep up the....well, work.
Once I've read the article and posted my opinion if I choose,I read the comment section and respond if something catches my eye. Silly as It may be that's how I use this site. Reading thru the back and forths laced with innuendos and backhanded insults that constantly basicly go nowhere in a long thread bores me.
To each their own
Your comment is false. Trump has denounced white supremacists far more often than Obama.
Big C,
Neither did and I am sorry, that is just plain wrong. I said that with Obama, and I feel the same way with Trump. When you are dealing with evil, call it what it is.
Calling them "fine people" is hardly denouncing them.
Put him away for life.
I just keep thinking how this whole situation may have been avoided altogether had Trump and his base not given a nod and a wink to the White Nationalists faction of their "fine" party. By placing White Nationalists in the WH like Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon and sneaking the Russians into the oval office the message was amplified like a bullhorn to the racists.
Thank goodness justice prevailed in spite of Trump and his base.
I think we will be hearing this kind of statement over and over before its over.
Yes, it's important to recognize reality.
LOL... I was just mentioning that to another member.
I don't think they get it though. LOL
They still think GOD sent trump to manipulate us.
You seem confused. God didn't send Trump; a majority of the electorate did. And we are pleased to have him. How many additional wars would the harridan have started by now?
Maybe, Loki has been known to do things like that.
LOL.. Somehow I don't think that is the GOD they have in mind.
Yeah, they have Yahweh mixed up with this guy,
Details....
they get ya every time.
Who is that guy?
Lucifer, before being a bad boy.
Kinda hot, except he looks like he has breasts
He was called the most beautiful angel in the Bible, I saw one translation of his name which is "Bringer of Light".
I've seen that, too
He got a little stuck-up, did he?
I wonder if that's the case or, if there was something else involved, I'm thinking of the story of Job.
Are you thinking that the story of Job happened before the fall?
No, I know that didn't happen before the fall, I'm thinking that the fall wasn't really a fall. Think of it like this, Yahweh's throne room is more of a courtroom with a defense table and, a prosecution table and, a judges bench, Yahweh sits at the judges bench, since Jesus's was crucified he sits at the defense table as the defense attorney and, Lucifer is at the prosecution table. During Jobs time no one sat at the defense table acting as the lawyer of the defense, it was by mans actions that things were decided for them, in Jobs case Lucifer was able to infer what he thought about Job's love of Yahweh and, get Yahweh to set up the trial for Job, now there is someone at the defense table who can give accurate testimony about man. Anyway, that's the way I explain things to most folks concerning Lucifer. He's Yahweh's prosecutor.
I love it!
Somebody should make a movie and have a really bad person as the defendant like Stalin or Hitler
LOL
Beyond the.politics I think the responsibility of her death should be shared among the organizers and even some to the city.
What was supposed to be a rally was quickly turned in to a free-for-all. Everyone knew or should have known that the ugly base of both sides would participate and plan accordingly.
Spencer was working up to this, now that it's happened they drained the bank accounts and are sitting back smiling that they have instigated this violence as a success.
Charlottesville is on the hook as not taking an all around precaution. Yes, they put feet on the ground and Feds went undercover. What they didn't do was hold the organizers in a place of responsibilty of security and financial recourse. The city should have forced an insurance bond for a substantial amount and didn't. Spencer disappeared as did the followers that were leaders of these groups. The soldiers went crazy and the leaders left the country.
Trump didn't help with his comments and it became fairly obviou that he knew he would be offending his base if he came down harder in his comments.
We don't agree on much, but I do agree with you on this one.
I agree with that until the last paragraph. The city govt doesn't get the criticism it deserves for its awful mismanagement.
I don't think that Trump caused this, but I do feel he didn't condemn the actions of these people appropriately and call them what they were, Neo Nazis.
I think the fault lies with the Idea that you can allow two opposing demonstrations in the same place on the same day. People have the Right to Free Speech but Municipalities have the right to require Permits and they have to approve the scheduling and locations, meaning they do not have to allow two rallies on the same day or location. Most places won't allow this and that's why the Police have arrested so many Leftists at Permitted Rightwing Rallies, the Left weren't given a Permit to have their Counter Rally but they gather Illegally because they're only there to cause trouble, it's the whole reason for their "Counter" Rally. I'm sure that these Towns would be more than happy to Permit a Leftwing Counter Rally the weekend before or after the Rightwing Rally and we could avoid all the violence and arrests and everyone will have their chance to gather peacefully and speak freely. Most of the people who attended the Unite the Right Rally were not Neo Nazi's but some were and while I don't agree with their Ideology they have the right to believe what they want as long as they don't break the law. There's no doubt the guy who ran those people down is a racist and a murderer and I hope he spends the rest of his life in jail. In the end it was the Left who went there with the intent to cause a melee at what otherwise would likely have been a peaceful Rally and they deserve the blame for that.
IMO the problem is that we allow people to openly be Nazis.
Intentional irony?
Any problem that a few misguided Nazi's might cause us is nothing compared to the problems that would be created by letting You, the Government. or Anyone Else decide what they will allow others to openly be.
Perhaps the problem is we have embraced hate when talking to our fellow humans these days. Can't really blame it on anyone except each individual that has decided it is acceptable for them.
I think the violent liberal protestors also share the blame. If they hadn't been there...
Please show me where the liberals got violent. You must be thinking of some other protest since the only act of violence was on the Neo Nazis.
That's actually not correct. There was violence from both sides, people from both sides were armed.
Believe it or not, the Nazi's actually had a permit.
On a broader scale, there is an alarming and dangerous view that has emerged among young liberals that their right to free speech includes the right to deny the free speech of others. What they call "counter-protesting" bears a remarkable resemblance to traditional thuggish suppression of freedom carried out by totalitarian dictatorships for centuries.
Kinda like how if those people hadn't been at that show in Vegas... they are certainly partly to blame!
And for the record I absolutely condone violence towards Nazis.
Did those people go to the show with the intent to commit violence?
Then what separates you from them, other than the particular flavor of nutjob ideology?
They have every RIGHT to be there.
From your link....
Do you understand the difference between "protester" and " counter-protester" ?
The article was describing those you are defending.
It says right in the article that it was Antifa throwing the piss fill balloons and the mace and tear gas. As far as fighting and who the aggressors were there were reports of aggression from both sides during the Riot. The facts are that only one group went there with the intent to break up another group's rally, the Rightwingers were there to have a Rally. They didn't go there because the Left was there, it was the Leftists who decided to go there to breakup the Rally and start a fight and it was the Leftists who threw piss on the Media to get rid of them so there'd be no film of their actions. It was the Left who went there with Criminal Intent, they went there to Violently Riot and breakup a legitimate Political Rally. It was their intent. they were not there to have a counter rally or to protest, their intent was to incite a riot and that's what they did and for that the blame lands squarely on them.
Then you should have no problem showing us where it say Antifa was doing this or about the aggressors.
Really? Police there with tear gas and pepper spray but it was Antifa? It said it was in the air...
Show your proof please?
Got any facts to back that up or is this just your imagination you're trying to pass off as fact?
Where'd you go?
You made these claims and can't back them up with fact?
Disappearing is your answer?
No, they did not. The vast majority of the counter-protesters didn't go to Charlotesville to get violent. They went there as a show of mass support to oppose the Alt-Right.
Hence the non-violent clubs and pepper spray they brought with them.
They went there to disrupt the Nazi rally. They went there to deny those with whom they disagree the same constitutional rights they themselves demand.
What they don't like to hear is that no matter how vile Nazi ideology may be, those who hold it have a right to express it. To attempt to deny them that right is to become as vile as they are.
They were there to defend themselves if the Alt-right chose to attack. Do you want to deny that this happened?
.
The past has shown that ignoring the Nazis and the Klan is an tacit endorsement of their ideas. Show up and outnumber them is the best way to oppose their violet ideology. I'm sure they would rather have it be peaceful but it doesn't always work that way. I have a small canister of pepper spray/CS in my purse so am I looking for trouble because of it?
No they weren't. If you're concerned about being attacked, you take a cop. Or better yet, you go have lunch in a different location.
It's very difficult to attack people who don't confront you. Even for Nazis.
Nonsense. In any case, that would not justify denying them their constitutional rights. Unless of course you're trying to out-Nazi the Nazis.
That's utterly stupid. That's seriously the dumbest thing you've said in months. Absolutely nothing positive comes out of standing out there in the street and looking exactly as crazy as the people you oppose.
Then they should meet somewhere else for coffee.
As in "almost never" works that way. The thing about violent bigots is....they're "violent". They want to fight. They're hoping you show up so they can kick your ass. They're hoping you try to interfere with their constitutional right to assemble so they'll have justification for kicking your ass.
Normal, regular people....who have lives and thus don't go to protests....look at protesters and counterprotesters as almost indistinguishable flavors of batshit.
If you take it with you to go shout at people in the street, absolutely.
You know what, Jack? The highlighted portion of your comment is exactly how we should deal with all these crazy alt-right, alt-left loony toons.
Let them have their little rallies, while we work our jobs, take care of our families, and live our lives in peace. When nobody confronts the loonies they look ridiculous with their little hate filled signs and hot air blowing from their pie-holes.
The best way to counteract the loonies is by peacefully showing up at the voting polls
Yes ma'am.
100% accurate. Responding to them legitimizes them. Further, it legitimizes the entire concept of failing to control one's emotions.
I hope the sentence fits the crimes. He should never get out.
Agreed.
Good, fuck him.
R. I. P.
She was one of the many thousands of victims of deadly White-Supremacist violence in America.
If one feared for his life, he would go in the opposite direction, not directly at them.
I am sure no one is surprised by the verdict. Although I did think he would get a longer sentence.
For me, it just shows what weak minded people hyped up on hate are capable of.
I don't think he's been sentenced yet.
Sentencing is scheduled for Monday
20 to life for the murder charge, and then there are charges for malicious wounding. Even if he doesn't get life for murder, if the sentences are served consecutively rather than concurrently, he could be there for a long time.
At first I saw up to twenty years. I thought that was low. I didn't see the twenty to life. My bad.
And the juciest best part of what you suggest...if he starts appealing he has to appeal each aentence one at a time.
Do you know if a hate crime enhancement had any impact on the sentence?
According to NPR, no.
He has yet to face charges for hate crimes.
Hahaha!
Life plus about 5 more life sentences worth.
And he has to appeal the added time before he can appeal the life sentence.
And he hasn't even been to trial for hate crimes yet.
The hate crimes won't ever see a courtroom unless his lawyers file an appeal. Why would the state spend the money on a trial when he already has multiple life sentences hanging over him? This kid will never see the light of day again.
States will try him for that for two reasons.
Makes it harder for him to appeal anything because of the cloud of a hate crime and adds one more convictionamong the timed convictions to appeal the life sentence.
I grew up in Maumee, Ohio, the same town this douchebag is from. It was a quintessential small town, where nothing of this kind ever happened. Since I have moved away from this area of Ohio, Maumee has really gone down hill. A good friend of my daughters was murdered by a guy from Maumee, who shot her while the two of them were driving separate cars. Another acquaintance from my youth in Maumee was knifed to death shortly after that. Then I saw yesterday that two people from the area were arrested for planning terrorist attacks, one of them being a girl who graduated from Maumee high school. She sounds dangerous as fuck. It's a good thing the authorities are on top of this shit. Too bad they didn't have an opportunity to nab this asshole before he killed someone.
http://www.wtol.com/2018/12/10/toledo-woman-charged-with-domestic-terror-plots-buying-bomb-making-materials/
https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/fbi-announcing-arrest-involving-national-security-in-ohio-monday-morning
The sentencing of a White Supremacist murderer does nothing to diminish the attacks by White-supremacist / neo-Nazi shills on antifa, who have never killed anyone.