Georgia couple gets prison for racist threats at child's birthday party

[Slick]

(CNN)A Georgia couple who rode with a Confederate flag-waving group that made armed threats against African-Americans at a child's birthday party were sentenced to prison Monday.

Jose "Joe" Torres, was sentenced to 20 years, with 13 years in prison, after a jury convicted him on three counts of aggravated assault, one count of making terroristic threats and one count of violating of Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.

Kayla Norton was sentenced to 15 years, with six years in prison. She was convicted on one count of making terroristic threats and one count of violation of the Street Gang Act.

"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.
CNN has tried to reach the two defendants' lawyers for comment.

After the arrests, investigators looked through the defendants' Facebook accounts, the statement said.

"Law enforcement was able to locate numerous posts and messages indicating that members of the group were white supremacists who discussed attending KKK rallies, joining Skinheads Nation, and making numerous derogatory remarks about African Americans as a whole," the DA's statement said.

Video of Monday's sentencing shot by WSB-TV, a CNN affiliate, showed both Torres and Norton breaking down in court as Judge William McClain handed down the sentence.

Norton apologized for her role in the incident saying, "I want you all to know that is not me. That is not me, that is not him. I would never walk up to you and say those words to you. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I am so sorry."

Hyesha Bryant, one of the people at the party, testified at the hearing and told Norton, "What you said affected my life. It affected my children's lives."

But Bryant ended up telling Norton that "I forgive you, I forgive all of you."

A jury convicted Torres and Norton on February 6. They are both banished from Douglas County when they're released from prison.

Fifteen members of the Respect the Flag group were originally indicted. The disposition of all their cases is unknown, but the district attorney said some of them pleaded guilty to similar charges and received shorter sentences.

Georgia couple sentenced for threatening blacks - CNN.com

[pickel]

Do you think their free speech rights were violated Slick?

[baldrick]

Jose

Hose A does not do irony ?

[misskit]

^ I thought the same thing.

[Slick]

Do you think their free speech rights were violated Slick?

No, dipshit, they're loonies that got what they deserved.

[VocalNeal]

More likely sentenced for waving a gun(s) around and threatening people.

Sadly the whole story is a bit stereotypical for an outsider.

[misskit]

^ One would think the same except the man's name is Jose Torres who is doing the rebel flag waving!

He tried too hard to fit in with the Billy Bobs.

[Slick]

More likely sentenced for waving a gun(s) around and threatening people.

Yeah thats a good way to land in jail for sure, but he got 20 years for:

making terroristic threats and one count of violating of Georgia's Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act

If it wasnt a hate crime of sorts, then it likely wouldnt have been much other than:

aggravated assault

So justice was definitely served.

[koman]

Can we look forward to a few pages of posts about how this kind of thing is "typical" right wing, or conservative behavior?...or how Jose and friends must be Trump supporters.....

[misskit]

or how Jose and friends must be Trump supporters

Well, now that you brought it up. You reckon they are Clinton supporters?

[Maanaam]

So justice was definitely served.

Sounds a bit steep to me.

[Slick]

Sounds a bit steep to me.

20 years and nobody got hurt. I mean what, they deserve the death chamber?

Sheesh calm down hitler, 20 should do it

[koman]

or how Jose and friends must be Trump supporters

Well, now that you brought it up. You reckon they are Clinton supporters?

The key word was "typical" Somehow these folks don't strike me as being big supporters of anything, except some looney white supremacist BS.......but I'm sure Hillary would have welcomed all their votes, under the circumstances......

[Begbie]

20 years seems a tad harsh.

[Maanaam]

but I'm sure Hillary would have welcomed all their votes, under the circumstances

Trump would have assumed they voted for him. After all, he's yoojly popular, tremendously, believe me, they love him, they do, they really do, believe me, despite the fake news, he got the biggest win since Reagan, believe me, it was a yooj win, it was, they love him.

[harrybarracuda]

Good news.

[Cold Pizza]

[QUOTE=Slick;3474444]

"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.

Pointing a gun at someone is a felony (unless in self-defense of course).

Pointing a gun while making threats.

This is why the length of sentence.

Weird people out there.

[Davis Knowlton]

20 years seems a tad harsh.

Indeed. Absurd.

[harrybarracuda]

20 years seems a tad harsh.

Indeed. Absurd.

Probably brought the laws in to target black folk.

Oh the irony.

[tomcat]

20 years seems a tad harsh.

...unless they're total morons, these terrorists probably won't serve more than7-8 years...they may even get a presidential pardon from the Cheetoh-in-Chief...

[misskit]

The Atlanta Journal says this group was out for two days threatening people.


Douglas Assistant District Attorney David Emadi detailed how the group had gone on a drunken rampage through Douglas and Paulding counties on July 24 and July 25, 2015, in pickup trucks laden with Confederate battle flags.

Emadi said the group threatened black motorists, yelled at them and walked up to one of their cars with a gun. They also threatened African-American shoppers at a Paulding County Wal-Mart and at a convenience store.

“Many good people in Paulding County saw you for what you are,” McClain said before he handed down the sentences. “Everywhere you went, 911 call centers were flooded with calls.”

2 in Douglas Confederate flag case sentenced to years in prison

[Cold Pizza]

The Atlanta Journal says this group was out for two days threatening people.


Douglas Assistant District Attorney David Emadi detailed how the group had gone on a drunken rampage through Douglas and Paulding counties on July 24 and July 25, 2015, in pickup trucks laden with Confederate battle flags.

Emadi said the group threatened black motorists, yelled at them and walked up to one of their cars with a gun. They also threatened African-American shoppers at a Paulding County Wal-Mart and at a convenience store.

“Many good people in Paulding County saw you for what you are,” McClain said before he handed down the sentences. “Everywhere you went, 911 call centers were flooded with calls.”

2 in Douglas Confederate flag case sentenced to years in prison

No sympathy for these thugs, but this was NOT about about so-called (misnomer) Confederate flag.

[wasabi]

Douglas county , a suburban Atlanta community.
A nice community that hasn't had a homocide or drive by shooting?
Hasn't featured on the documentary "The First 48"

[Slick]

Probably brought the laws in to target black folk.

Oh the irony.

You really are one biased, stupid mofo.

You really need to put down the Republican conspiracy theory bullshit and get some air.

What do you think this is? Fuckin 1802 or some shit?