White Supremacist in Charlottesville Case Gets Life Sentence
James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into the crowd at a 2017 "Unite the Right" rally, killing one person and injuring over two dozen others.CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—An avowed white supremacist who drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters during a white nationalist rally in Virginia was sentenced to life in prison Friday on hate crime charges.
James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio, had pleaded guilty in March to the 2017 attack that killed one person and injured more than two dozen others. In exchange, prosecutors dropped their request for the death penalty. His attorneys asked for a sentence less than life. He will be sentenced next month on separate state charges.
Before the judge handed down his sentence, Fields, accompanied by one of his lawyers, walked to a podium in the courtroom and spoke.
“I apologize for the hurt and loss I’ve caused,” he said, later adding, “Every day I think about how things could have gone differently and how I regret my actions. I’m sorry.”
Fields’ comment came after more than a dozen survivors of and witnesses to the attack delivered emotional testimony about the physical and psychological wounds they had received as a result of the events that day.
The “Unite the Right” rally on Aug. 12, 2017, drew hundreds of white nationalists to Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
The case stirred racial tensions around the country.
Fields was charged with 29 hate crime counts and one count of “racially motivated violent interference.” He pleaded guilty to 29 of the counts.
In a sentencing memo filed in court last week, Fields’ lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski to consider a sentence of “less than life.”
“No amount of punishment imposed on James can repair the damage he caused to dozens of innocent people. But this Court should find that retribution has limits,” his attorneys wrote.
Fields faces sentencing in state court on July 15. A jury has recommended life plus 419 years.
Dig, Root, GrowThis year, we’re all on shaky ground, and the need for independent journalism has never been greater. A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Your support is more than a donation. It helps us dig deeper into hidden truths, root out corruption and misinformation, and grow an informed, resilient community.
Independent journalism like Truthdig doesn't just report the news — it helps cultivate a better future.
Your tax-deductible gift powers fearless reporting and uncompromising analysis. Together, we can protect democracy and expose the stories that must be told.
This spring, stand with our journalists.
Dig. Root. Grow. Cultivate a better future.
Donate today.
They see Richmond protests as a rallying point for their cause, as state officials issue dire warnings over rhetoric and fears of violence.
A bill headed to the Virginia state Legislature would let communities decide what messages they want to convey through their public spaces.
Journalists Michael Hayden and Jared Holt reflect on a new bombshell report exposing Trump adviser Stephen Miller's ties to the "alt-right."
It has developed a violent and racist world narrative, and it is successfully injecting fringe ideas into mainstream culture.
If Democrats let the president skate on his other crimes, they risk sending a dangerous message to voters ahead of the 2020 elections.
Two years after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a former federal agent sees reason for optimism and concern.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.