Posted on June 28, 2019

James Fields Jailed: White Supremacist Who Killed Woman During Charlottesville Rally Sentenced to Life in Prison

Chris Riotta, The Independent, June 28, 2019

James Alex Fields Jr, a hate-filled man who drove into a group of activists protesting white nationalists and killed protestor Heather Heyer, has been sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.

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He was charged with 29 hate crime counts and one count of “racially motivated violent interference.” He pleaded guilty to 29 of the counts. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.

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Fields has almost no hope of getting out of prison in any case: He also faces sentencing in state court on July 15. A jury has recommended life plus 419 years.

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Fields’ lawyers had hoped the judge would take into account his troubled childhood and mental health issues when handing down his sentence.

During Fields’ state trial, a psychologist testified for the defence that Fields had inexplicable volatile outbursts as a young child, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 6 and was later diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder.

In a sentencing memo, defence attorneys said Fields was raised by a paraplegic single mother and suffered “trauma” knowing that his Jewish grandfather had slain his grandmother before taking his own life.

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