Jailed for 13 years for flying the confederate flag

[Drowzy]

A couple were just sentenced in the US state of Georgia to 13 years and 6 years respectively.

Superior Court Judge William McClain said the two were "motivated by racial hatred".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39114166

I was curoius about Georgia's gun carry laws since the article states that both were armed.

http://www.georgiacarry.org/cms/georgias-carry-laws-explained/frequently-asked-questions/

Q: I don’t have a Georgia Weapons License. Can I carry in my car?
A: Any person who is not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun or long gun may have or carry on his or her person a weapon or long gun on his or her property or inside his or her home, motor vehicle, or place of business without a valid weapons carry license. In addition, such person may carry a long gun, which must be carried openly if loaded. Moreover, such person may carry in his or her own motor vehicle. Finally, if such person is eligible for a Georgia Weapons License, he or she may carry in any private passenger motor vehicle.

So why the lengthy prison sentence? I don't get it, they didn't shoot their guns they just drove their cars around with the confederate flag on it.

[1715099533]

1715099533

[coolcoinz]

It seems you haven't read the whole thing.

Torres and Norton were found guilty of threatening to kill some of those attending the child's party while shouting racial slurs at children.
Torres was said to have been carrying a shotgun, according to prosecutors. He was sentenced for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and for violating Georgia's street gang and terrorism prevention laws.

They weren't sentenced for the flag or for simply carrying a weapon. They were sentenced for attacking some people at their party, which I assume was taking place on private grounds. You can carry a weapon openly, but entering a private property with a gun and threatening the owners might be taken as an assault with a weapon.
We don't know exactly what they did, because the article is written in a way that suggests they were sentenced for driving their car with a confederate flag and for carrying a weapon, but it must have been more to that.

[Drowzy]

It seems you haven't read the whole thing.

Torres and Norton were found guilty of threatening to kill some of those attending the child's party while shouting racial slurs at children.
Torres was said to have been carrying a shotgun, according to prosecutors. He was sentenced for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and for violating Georgia's street gang and terrorism prevention laws.

They weren't sentenced for the flag or for simply carrying a weapon. They were sentenced for attacking some people at their party, which I assume was taking place on private grounds. You can carry a weapon openly, but entering a private property with a gun and threatening the owners might be taken as an assault with a weapon.
We don't know exactly what they did, because the article is written in a way that suggests they were sentenced for driving their car with a confederate flag and for carrying a weapon, but it must have been more to that.

That's the thing, they didn't enter private property. They and some other people doing the same thing drove their cars past the party yelling racial slurs.

"They are part of a group of at least 15 people charged over the incident in which cars were driven along the street flying the Confederate battle flag in Douglasville, west of Atlanta, in July 2015."

"Torres and Norton were found guilty of threatening to kill some of those attending the child's party while shouting racial slurs at children."

"Residents at the time told local media that the people in the vehicles were shouting racial slurs, but the group said they were attacked."

See, they didn't get out of their vehicles. The firearms were on their possession in the car. They just drove past yelling racial slurs, like that hasn't happened a billion times before.

I think what were seeing here is a example being made of these two so no one else incites hatred. The sentences are way too long for what they did. Maybe 2 years max, even that's too much.

[squatz1]

I'm one of those people that are all for free speech as I'll support what you in saying what you please, but I sure as hell believe there should be a line drawn when death threats are starting to be made around the presence and involving children as at event like this. You can't even go ahead and think it is alright to threaten children and to yell racial slurs at them, this yelling of racial slurs wasn't even the part of being sentencing.

The sentencing is simply based on the fact of threatening peoples lives while having possession of a deadly weapon, which is quite simply the shotgun he was in possession of. I'll support your right to say something to the end of my life, but I sure as hell won't be agreeing with half of the shit these people spewed.

[bohr]

I'm one of those people that are all for free speech as I'll support what you in saying what you please, but I sure as hell believe there should be a line drawn when death threats are starting to be made around the presence and involving children as at event like this. You can't even go ahead and think it is alright to threaten children and to yell racial slurs at them, this yelling of racial slurs wasn't even the part of being sentencing.

The sentencing is simply based on the fact of threatening peoples lives while having possession of a deadly weapon, which is quite simply the shotgun he was in possession of. I'll support your right to say something to the end of my life, but I sure as hell won't be agreeing with half of the shit these people spewed.

I agree with this, I believe in freedom of speech, but my personal line are death threat once you cross that line then it must be taken seriously, and if you are carrying a weapon with you when you do it then the death threat are to be believed and some action must be taken.

[Sithara007]

This is what we will have, if liberal political activists get the job of judges. There was a confrontation between white activists and black activists. The latter were allowed to go home without any charges against them, while the former group was handed extremely unfair prison terms. This will lead to further racial polarization in the United States.

[GreenBits]

Are you kidding me right now guys? Your racism is showing.

Do I have to explain why terrorizing an innocent family celebrating a birthday party might not be protected by free speech? Although I disagree with that symbol (the flag of a failed rebellion), I certainly agree with anyone's right to bear said flag. But peacefully waving a flag, on your lonesome, or even in proud recognition of ones heritage, is a far cry from being a fucking asshole because you feel some kind of way about black people.

I see that people feel some kind of way about blacklivesmatter. Heads would fucking roll had this happened in inverse. You would think me a fool for not understanding why a group of black people spewing racist shit might not be a good look around a bunch of kids and family, peacefully and privately assembled. You would want a negro head on a fucking stick. And I think you would be justified, because that behavior would be disgusting and unamerican.

Kinda like what happened.

[olushakes]

Most times when I want to react to judgements by judges, I tried as much as to get the whole picture of things because headlines alone are mostly written to attract attention as well as create sentiments where there is none. In this case, I have every reason to believe that the judgment was delivered in good faith and not just for raising a flag which is a piece of cloth. And it might even be surprising that a White judge might give the judgement and even if its a black judge, I am sure the justice system will give room for appeal.

[bryant.coleman]

From what I have read from the news posted in various social media sites, a bunch of minority whites (Douglasville went from 64% white in 2000 to 33% in 2010) were peacefully marching in a black-dominated area, when a gang of blacks attacked them. There was a verbal spat between the two groups, with racial slurs thrown in. There was no children's party anywhere near that place, and that story was all cooked up by the ghetto dwellers.

[GreenBits]

From what I have read from the news posted in various social media sites, a bunch of minority whites (Douglasville went from 64% white in 2000 to 33% in 2010) were peacefully marching in a black-dominated area, when a gang of blacks attacked them. There was a verbal spat between the two groups, with racial slurs thrown in. There was no children's party anywhere near that place, and that story was all cooked up by the ghetto dwellers.

Can you link me to one of those stories? Because the first 30 or articles that pop up clearly state that this wasn't a peaceful protest. 

"The convoy of trucks passed by the victim's residence where the victims were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers while hosting a child's birthday party featuring a bouncy castle, snow-cone machines, and a DJ," the district attorney's office posted on its official Facebook page.

Yeah, you know, because people get bouncy castles, snow cone machines, and a DJ just for shits and giggles, huh? Definitely not a birthday party.

Damn, come to think if it, my parents never got me a bouncy castle or a DJ. I guess those ghetto dwellers make some decent salary. We obviously have to shut that shit down so we can make America great again, right?

Sounds to me like racial trolling that bit your white nationalist friends in the ass. LOL, Confederates should be proud. They stood with the flag all the way to a federal prison. Now that's devotion.

And please, please explain to me how the number one represented race in America is in minority.

[EthanB]

Carrying guns legally for self-defense and pointing guns or making threats at children and families are two very different things. You can not terrorize, make death threats or point guns at people. Free speech does not entitle terrorism.

[Sithara007]

Carrying guns legally for self-defense and pointing guns or making threats at children and families are two very different things. You can not terrorize, make death threats or point guns at people. Free speech does not entitle terrorism.

I agree that pointing gun at children is plain wrong. But where is the evidence for this? You can't just jail someone for the remainder of his life, because someone else claimed that he threatened the children with a gun.

[GreenBits]

Carrying guns legally for self-defense and pointing guns or making threats at children and families are two very different things. You can not terrorize, make death threats or point guns at people. Free speech does not entitle terrorism.

I agree that pointing gun at children is plain wrong. But where is the evidence for this? You can't just jail someone for the remainder of his life, because someone else claimed that he threatened the children with a gun.

Well, what about a whole party of people, that had no motive to even interact with said protesters as they were at an event, a birthday party. I don't show up to a birthday party for an ass whooping. I show up for cake and ice cream. Why wouldn't the testimony of witnesses, victims in this case, and a whole party of them, not be sufficient?

"Many people tried to make the case about simply flying the Confederate Battle Flag," Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner said in a statement. "This case was about a group of people riding around our community, drinking alcohol, harassing and intimidating our citizens because of the color of their skin."

On July 25, 2015, Torres and Norton, joined about a dozen other people in a convoy of pickup trucks waving large Confederate flags as they drove around Douglas County, a suburban Atlanta community. Most of them belonged to a group called "Respect the Flag."

"The convoy of trucks passed by the victim's residence where the victims were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers while hosting a child's birthday party featuring a bouncy castle, snow-cone machines, and a DJ," the district attorney's office posted on its official Facebook page.

The party-goers said the people in the trucks yelled racial slurs as they passed, the statement said.

The drivers parked the trucks near the house, prosecutors said. Torres was part of a smaller group that "threatened to kill the party goers while repeatedly using derogatory racial slurs against them," said the statement.

"Torres, who had retrieved a shotgun from his vehicle, pointed his shotgun at the group of African American party-goers and stated he was going to kill them while his co-defendants stated that 'the little ones can get one too,' referring to the young children at the party," the statement said.

Norton was accused of making similar threats. The victims said some member of Torres' group was armed with a knife and a tire tool.

According to the district attorney's statement, Torres testified he carried the shotgun because he feared for his friends' safety. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported members of "Respect the Flag" said people at the party had thrown objects at them.

Also, the female apologized for her actions. So either she was a craven coward, and put her freedom above her morals in an attempt to reduce her sentence, or she was actually sorry for being an ass.

I'd like to believe the latter.

Speaking through her tears, Norton told the court: “I do accept responsibility for what I’ve done.”

Addressing her victims, she added: “What happened to you is absolutely awful.

“From mother to mother, I cannot imagine having to explain what that word means.

“The worst decision I’ve ever made in my life was to not walk away when I had the chance.”

Lord, I pray she was being sincere.

[Mometaskers]

I'm may not be American but I know what the Confederate flag stands for is a very sensitive issue. I might cringe if I see someone waving them but if that person is also carrying guns and hurling threats at me I'd definitely be calling the police and no amount of tears will make me forgive. There's a limit to free speech and I believe any decent human being would know that and not cross the line.

[teeneffigy]

Sounds like they got what they deserved. The sentence sounds like something you would get for armed robbery but if the guy did indeed point the shotgun at the crowd and threaten death I can see why the judge would issue such a strict sentence.

I hope others learn from this and keep their hate to themselves.

[Sithara007]

Sounds like they got what they deserved. The sentence sounds like something you would get for armed robbery but if the guy did indeed point the shotgun at the crowd and threaten death I can see why the judge would issue such a strict sentence.

I hope others learn from this and keep their hate to themselves.

Law should be same for everyone. If some African American or a Hispanic had done this (against a white family), would the judge be obliged to hand him the same quantum of sentence? I doubt that.

[criptix]

Sounds like they got what they deserved. The sentence sounds like something you would get for armed robbery but if the guy did indeed point the shotgun at the crowd and threaten death I can see why the judge would issue such a strict sentence.

I hope others learn from this and keep their hate to themselves.

Law should be same for everyone. If some African American or a Hispanic had done this (against a white family), would the judge be obliged to hand him the same quantum of sentence? I doubt that.

I too.
The black would have been shot by a swat team on the spot and if survives he probaly would get twice the sentence of a white.