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A US NEO-NAZI who drove his car into a group of counter-protesters last year during a white supremacist rally in Virginia, killing a woman, was sentenced to life in prison by a jury.
James Alex Fields Jr, 21, was found guilty of murder and other charges last week following a two-week jury trial in Charlottesville.
The same seven-woman, five-man jury that convicted Fields sentenced him to life in prison plus an additional 419 years.
Fields will be formally sentenced by Judge Richard Moore on 29 March. The judge can reduce the sentence imposed by the jury but is not allowed to increase it.
Fields rammed his car into the counter-protesters on 12 August, 2017, killing 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of other people.
Those counter-protesters had gathered in opposition to a group of white supremacists who came to the university town to protest the removal of a Confederate statue.
President Donald Trump drew broad criticism in the aftermath of the mayhem when he spoke of “blame on both sides,” appearing to establish a moral equivalence between the white supremacists and those who opposed them.
The incident turned Charlottesville into a symbol of the growing audacity of the far right under Trump.
Fields had driven overnight from his hometown of Maumee, Ohio, to support the Unite the Right rally to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee, the top general of the pro-slavery Confederacy during the 1861-1865 American Civil War.
Dressed in a white polo shirt and khaki pants, the uniform of the white supremacists, he took part in racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic chants, according to footage played in the courtroom.
The prosecution played videos that showed Fields stop his car and reverse up a hill before commencing his deadly assault on counter-protesters who were singing and celebrating after city officials had ordered the far-right demonstrators to leave.
In order to build their case of a premeditated attack, prosecutors presented a text Fields sent to his mother before departing for the rally after she had asked him to be careful
“We’re not the one (sic) who need to be careful,” he replied, alongside a photo of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, whom he has long admired.
They also showed the jury two Instagram posts Fields uploaded in May last year that depicted a car ramming into a group of protesters, arguing that he ultimately chose to live out that fantasy when the opportunity arose three months later.
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Now that’s what you call a proper Sentencing.
@Sean O’Shea: Where are all the tough guys calling for the death penalty?
@Sean O’Shea: can’t really argue with that. Eligible for parole in December 2437.
@Louis Jacob: I think we’d agree, That sentencing is far worse than any death penalty :)
@Peter Cavey: haha, I’d say he is looking forward to his release.
@Sean O’Shea: I do agree.
@Sean O’Shea: a ridiculous sentence 419 yrs ..why not just say you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison unless of course prisoners live longer in the US.
@Liam Neeson: Actually the 419 years is not applied until he has already served his life sentence. It’s what’s called a “f*ck you in particular” in US legal circles.
Frankly I’m not sure why the US still insists on the Death Penalty, a life in Supermax is, by far, the harsher punishment. And I may be wrong but I suspect a tool this stupid will end up there sooner than later.
@Sean O’Shea: that’s a recommendation not a sentence the judge will ultimately sentence him
@Louis Jacob: that would only be if he was black !! ??
419 years? You’d be out in 5 here
@The Bull McCabe: or 418 suspended
419 year sentence, 415 suspended, 2 knocked off for having a tough upbringing, out in 18 months on good behaviour
Here victims get vastly overpriced ‘law’. In the USA victims get justice.
@Pat Farrelly: Justice or Vengeance?
@Pat Farrelly: Except if they are one of the 1/3 (tens of thousands) of murders that dont get convictions. Don’t get carried away Pat. There’s no justice anywhere.
@Pat Farrelly: USA also puts innocent people on death row.
Not a very good justice system.
@Pat Farrelly: not if they’re rape victims.
Great sentence, especially given the fact he is only 21!
Proper justice!
@Matt Beaumont: how can you say that in all honesty. What he did was abhorrent and inexcusable however as you say he is only 21. Who can say that he will come to recognise his wrongdoing and seek real forgiveness. But with that sentence there is no hope of redemption in the eyes of the state. Where is the opportunity for reformation real justice should allow for the perpetrator to reform and rejoin society. IMO and no I’m not a bleeding heart liberal.
@John Hetherton: I am a liberal but life is life as far as I’m concerned.
@John Hetherton: i agree with you. Sentences in the US can be a bit over the top ( not taking away from the life he took) but there is no chance to make anything right. Even if he got a 30 year sentence…it would give him sonething to work towards. I think the States has the most people per capita in the world in prison. No rehabilitation
@Anne: and their crime rates are awful. I think it’s time to try something else.
@John Hetherton: Yes, I really see it that way! Some people are beyond redemption or rehabilitation and I’m happy that this man will die behind bars, he totally deserves it.
@Anne: some people are beyond rehabilitation and some crimes deserve no redemption!
He got what he deserved and I’m glad he’ll die in prison.
Justice served!
@John Hetherton: At least the US still recognises that some acts make you permanently unfit for rehabilitation.
Over here they tend to find God and remorse at the bottom of the first mug of prison tea they drink and even when the same individual tells a court that load of lies on 60 different occasions they’re still believed.
@John Hetherton: he can change his ways he can change his views and he can change his beliefs however he cannot change what he did. He will spend the rest of his life behind bars paying for his crime justice has been served. The taking of life in the manner in which he took it results in the forfeit of his freedom, he still has a life as institutionalised as it will be unlike the lives of the people he stole.
@Matt Beaumont: I totally get your viewpoint and if the murdered person were related to me perhaps I would be baying for punishment and retribution. That said the guy is 21. Who amongst us has not done regrettable and stupid things in or youth? Not to condone his act and I agree the murdered person gets not 2nd chance, but locking someone up for life at such a young age to me seems very very harsh.
@John Hetherton: Only 21? He’s a legal adult not a child
Let’s not forget, there was blame on both sides – right, Mr President?
@Johnny Rotten: trump will probably try and get him pardoned or something. Eejit
@Jonathan Nolan: You’re an idiot
It’s what he deserves!
Proper sentence. Well done USA!
One of Trumps ‘fine people’
I always find it farcical when jail sentences in America are multiple times greater than a lifetime. Just to put it in context by looking backwards rather than forwards (no tangible reference points in the future), King Henry VIII was contesting the legality of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. William Shakespeare hadn’t been born yet and wouldn’t be for another 35 years or so.
@Shea Fitzgerald: why farcical? At least it ensures those people will never be released.
Nothing wrong with that!
@Matt Beaumont: I calculated life at 70 years plus 419 years makes 489 years in jail. When was the last time you heard of anyone living for 489 years? Farce. Unless of course the company providing incarceration services are contracted to hold him in jail for 489 years and can collect fees for that period.
And a couple who killed a new-born in England, got 10 years each. We should extradite all our criminals to the US.
@neuromancer: England… We???
@Louis Jacob: this side of the Atlantic.
Where’s all the comments from the alt right here defending his actions?! No? Mr PC in the article above spouting lefties policies and attitude as a reason for terrorist attacks but not a mention here about this addition to society. Double standards much? Or is it ok Cos you like your terrorists white?
@Dermot Foley: I don’t recall ever seeing an alt right comments on the Journal.
Unless you’re group genuine concerns over issues such as immigration and hard line left ideology into the alt right category.
Will be out in 2 with good behaviour.
@Chris Folliard: 2 centuries?
15-20 woulda done it.
There’s a documentary on Netflix about this incident, the victim was a member of the same nazi group
@WhateverHerNameIs: nope I’m wrong. Can we bring in the delete button please!
In cases like this, he should be allowed voluntary suicide. Silly cost to the state for the next 70/80 years. He is never going to get out or contribute to society. Why pay for him in prison
@Andrew Behan: why shoukd he get to choose? His victim didn’t.. why should he be given the easy way out ? Living in hell for the rest of the life is what he deserves.
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: As I don’t believe in the concept of hell, that has no bearing on my thoughts. But, if there is a hell, won’t he go either way? Now or in 70 odd years? At a cost of over $30,000 a year for a prisoner in the US, why should the tax payer pay for him?
@Andrew Behan: Suicide by its nature is voluntary.
@Andrew Behan: “Not that you believe in hell as a concept or that it has bearing on your thoughts, but if there is a hell….” an act of contrition would square that away
@Andrew Behan: because he knows he will never leave prison again, so he will suffer for his crime for every single day for the rest of his life.
Tax money well spent!
Compare that to his ideological brother Mr Breivik. He received a maximum sentence of 21 years. For all it’s flaws the US still does some things right.
Rehabilitation is there for those who can be rehabilitated for those who can’t there’s permanent removal from society. In the US that’s either by imprisonment or execution.
@Steven Moens: this isn’t the sentence, it’s a recommendation
He’ll be out in 5.
Seems like a joke sentence. Why not just go with 100 years? Would seem less silly.
Ridiculously lenient sentencing. Life + 419 years and 1 day, along with 6 firm smacks to the bottom seems more appropriate to me tbh. Where’s his precious Adolf then?!
Ridiculously lenient sentencing. Life + 419 years and 1 day, along with 6 firm smacks to the bottom seems more appropriate to me tbh. Where’s his precious Adolf then?!
Any 1 that murders in cold blood shouldn’t see the light of day again and when givin the death penalty they should do a Yr or so in harsh situation in prison leave them rest then death penalty lol
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