Confederate statue toppling cases start with a dismissal

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Jonathan Drew, Associated Press
Updated 2:05 pm, Monday, February 19, 2018

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — A judge dismissed the criminal case Monday against the first of eight protesters standing trial on charges of toppling a Confederate statue last summer in North Carolina.

Dante Strobino appeared in court for a brief trial on three misdemeanor counts including defacing a public building or monument and conspiracy. Seven others are expected to be tried individually on similar charges in the August 2017 toppling of the monument in Durham.

After prosecutors rested their case, Durham County District Court Judge Fred Battaglia granted a defense motion to dismiss the charges against Strobino because of insufficient evidence. Battaglia ruled that neither video of the protest shown in court nor testimony from several witnesses had positively identified Strobino as one of the people who tore the statue down. He also ruled they hadn't proven there was a conspiracy.

"The court finds that the state has failed in their attempt to identify who the perpetrator was, at least as to this defendant," said Battaglia, who's hearing the case without a jury.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Confederate-statue-toppling-cases-start-with-a-12624894.php

[underpants]

1. An aside - I was quite surprised at how easily they buckled that statue over

Living in Richmond we have these things all over the place. I used to do laundry with a statue to the Confederate artillery across the street (near VCU). I always assumed it was a sturdy solid block of metal. Apparently not. Not sure of that specific Monument but many of these are empty mass produced pieces of crap. The belt buckles are the only difference between Union and Confederate statues.

[Stallion]

2. The Wind Could have Blown Them Over they Were So Old

Not Guilty

[AtheistCrusader]

3. All a facade. Like 'States Rights' and 'muh heritage!'

Edit: I guess Façade doesn't work in the subject line?