Man Found Guilty For Church Arson On Obama Election Night

Man Found Guilty For Church Arson On Obama Election Night HPFB.init();
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Man Found Guilty For Church Arson On Obama Election Night

First Posted: 04/16/11 01:08 AM ET Updated: 04/16/11 01:08 AM ET

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By Jack Flynn
Religion News Service

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) Breaking a two-day deadlock, a federal jury convicted a white man, Michael F. Jacques, on all three charges Thursday (April 14) for a fire that destroyed a black church the night of President Obama's election.

The guilty verdicts rocked Jacques and his family members, who had hoped the deadlocked jury might result in a mistrial. But the three civil rights and arson counts mean the 26-year-old will likely spend the next decade in prison.

Two other white defendants -- Benjamin F. Haskell and Thomas A. Gleason, both 24, of Springfield -- pleaded guilty last year to torching the Macedonia Church of God in Christ on Nov. 5, 2008, to express outrage at the election of the nation's first black president.

"On the morning of Nov. 5, 2008, we all hoped this was not arson," Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Smyth said, standing outside the courthouse. "In the few days that followed, our worst fears were confirmed."

As the verdicts were read Thursday, two jurors broke into tears. At the defense table, Jacques sat motionless for a few moments before defense attorney Lori H. Levinson put her hand on his shoulder.

Outside the courthouse, Levinson said she was disappointed with the verdict. As Jacques exited through a swarm of television cameras, he stopped and said, "The jury got it all wrong; I'm innocent. I'm not a racist."

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Barack ObamaBy Jack FlynnReligion News ServiceSPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) Breaking a two-day deadlock, a federal jury convicted a white man, Michael F. Jacques, on all three charges Thursday (April 14) for a fire...By Jack FlynnReligion News ServiceSPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) Breaking a two-day deadlock, a federal jury convicted a white man, Michael F. Jacques, on all three charges Thursday (April 14) for a fire... Loading... Loading... Around the Web:

No verdict in Michael Jacques' Macedonia Church arson trial ...

Trial Opens In Massachusetts Black Church Arson Case

Guilty verdict in Ruckersville church arson | Daily Progress

Jurors Hear Closing Arguments in Church Arson Case - Beliefnet News

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Post to Facebook.Post to Blogger.Post to Twitter.Post to WordPress.Post to TypePad.Post to Tumblr.Post to Yahoo! View All Favorites Recency  |  Popularity HUFFPOST SUPER USER jdl51   0 minute ago (9:24 AM) 232 Fans Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Smyth told the jury that Jacques bragged about his prowess as an arsonist to an undercover state trooper. During a 6 1/2-hour interrogat­ion, Jacques admitted that the three men had torched the church. "All of us burnt it down," Jacques told state trooper Michael S. Mazza. "Poured the gasoline and lit [it] on fire."

Can't imagine what the jury was deadlocked about. jdl51: Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Smyth told the jury that http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/jdl51/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84682115.html Permalink  | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER jdl51   4 minutes ago (9:20 AM) 232 Fans Good little teabagger, now off to jail with you. jdl51: Good little teabagger, now off to jail with you. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/jdl51/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84681832.html Permalink  | Share it farmilyman   59 minutes ago (8:24 AM) 282 Fans How do christians get radicalize­d? farmilyman: How do christians get radicalized? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/farmilyman/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84678861.html Permalink  | Share it Semprini   1 hour ago (8:15 AM) 357 Fans More "home grown" terrorism.­..how DO these Muslims get radicalise­d? Where's Peter King when you need him?

What goes so wrong in someone's life that they do something like this? You don't like the results of an election, so you get together with two friends and burn down a church? Semprini: More "home grown" terrorism...how DO these Muslims get radicalised? Where's http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Semprini/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84678464.html Permalink  | Share it HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR glomtt   2 hours ago (7:15 AM) 1176 Fans Follow I guess they think in their minds, if they just keep saying it and denying it they are not! glomtt: I guess they think in their minds, if they just http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/glomtt/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84676507.html Permalink  | Share it SmotPoker   2 hours ago (7:01 AM) 241 Fans I'm torn on this. As an atheist I have no qualms with churches being burned to the ground since they promote ignorance and fear, yet not being a complete animal I have no place in my heart and mind for racism or racists. There has to be better ways to show your displeasur­e. SmotPoker: I'm torn on this. As an atheist I have no http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/SmotPoker/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84676179.html Permalink  | Share it HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR glomtt   2 hours ago (7:21 AM) 1176 Fans Follow I respect your choice not to believe in a supreme being, and sometimes as a Christian I feel the same as you do, but when you say that all churces promote ignorance and fear, you sound like a racist. Don'tbecom­e one, don't paint me as a promoter of fear and ignorance just because I choose to believe. glomtt: I respect your choice not to believe in a supreme http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/glomtt/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84676657.html Permalink  | Share it SmotPoker   54 minutes ago (8:30 AM) 241 Fans Not to quibble over semantics but stating that churches promote fear and ignorance is not a racist statement. Religion is not a race. SmotPoker: Not to quibble over semantics but stating that churches promote http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/SmotPoker/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84679105.html Permalink  | Share it recless   4 hours ago (5:28 AM) 57 Fans No, he's not a racist. He just burned a black church to protest the election of a black President.

Maybe give him another ten years of primary education before the prison time. Maybe then he can understand why he deserves the sentence. recless: No, he's not a racist. He just burned a black http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/recless/white-man-found-guilty-in_n_849907_84674679.html Permalink  | Share it     new comment(s) on this entry — Click to refreshLoading comments… PHOTO GALLERIES Sacred Music Traditions Of The World (VIDEOS) Sikhs Celebrate Vaisakhi Dis[Locating] Culture: Contemporary Islamic Art In America Behind the Scenes of 'In the Shadow of the Buddha' FOLLOW US Connect with your friends Check out stories you might like,
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