A judge in Charlottesville, Virginia followed the jury’s recommendation, and formally sentenced “avowed Neo-Nazi” James Alex Fields Jr. to life in prison plus 419 years for murdering counter-protester Heather Heyer in Aug. 2017.
Judge said James Alex Fields will be able to ask for geriatric release when he turns 60. Tells Fields “I don’t know you’ll ever be released, but I can’t say it’s not possible.” pic.twitter.com/tsdK70ZFnM
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) July 15, 2019
State jurors recommended the sentence last December. Fields was also sentenced to life in federal court over hate crime charges in the same incident.
Prosecutors argued in both cases that the defendant intentionally plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racist counter-protesters during the “Unite the Right” rally in 2017. Fields was seen congregating with suspected white nationalists at the rally. Federal prosecutors call him a white supremacist. His social media activity showed that he supported Adolf Hitler‘s racist policies and the Holocaust, they said in a court filing. He also advocated violence against Jewish, black, and other people who perceived to be non-white. Fields has been described in reports as an avowed neo-Nazi.
Prosecutors at his federal sentencing showed jailhouse phone calls from 2018 in which he called Heyer “anti-white, liberal.” She was white.
“She’s the enemy,” he said.
Fields apologized at his federal sentencing. He said nothing in state court on Monday.
James Alex Fields was asked if he wanted to address court before sentence. Looked at his lawyer Denise Lunsford, shook his head side to side, and said “no, thank you.” She and co-counsel John Hill declined comment. pic.twitter.com/HWIWPdtuGP
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) July 15, 2019
[Mugshot via Charlottesville Police Department]
