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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 29 sepTember 2020
Jury finds white nationalist guilty of rape threat

By MICHAEL CASEY the leader of the Bowl Pa- a white nationalist rally in
Associated Press trol. The group's name was Charlottesville in 2017. He
CONCORD, N.H (AP) — A inspired by the haircut of didn't serve additional jail
self-proclaimed white na- Dylann Roof, who was sen- time but was barred from
tionalist who rose to promi- tenced to death for fatally Virginia for five years.
nence during a deadly shooting nine Black church This was the second federal
2017 rally in Charlottesville, members during a Bible jury trial to be held in the
Virginia, was found guilty study session in Charleston, District of New Hampshire,
Monday by a federal jury South Carolina. since proceedings were
of threatening to rape the Cantwell followed through delayed by the coronavirus
wife of a man who was part on another threat to re- pandemic. All participants
of a racist group he felt was port the Missouri man, who wore masks and prac-
harassing and bullying him. has several children, to the ticed social distancing and
Christopher Cantwell, a state's child division for drug microphones were disin-
39-year-old New Hamp- use and racist views. But an fected between witnesses.
shire resident and radio This undated booking file photo provided by the Albemarle- agency official testified at Cantwell, who has hosted
host, was found guilty of Charlottesville Regional Jail shows Christopher Cantwell, of New the trial that it did not feel self-produced radio shows,
extortion and threatening Hampshire. the complaint justified fur- also has history of posting
to injure property or reputa- Associated Press ther investigation. threatening messages over
tion but not guilty of cyber- eryone on the internet and Cantwell used the Tele- Cantwell's attorney, Eric social media. Last year, at-
stalking related to a series the white nationalist world gram messaging app to Wolpin, on Friday acknowl- torneys who filed a federal
of threats he made toward and other worlds where convey a threat last year edged in his closing re- civil rights lawsuit in connec-
a Missouri man over the really abhorrent things are that he would rape the marks that his client's lan- tion with the Charlottesville
Telegram messaging app. said." "You do have a right man's wife if he didn't give guage was "obscene" and rally asked a judge to order
The jury deliberated for to free speech and there up information about the "over the top." But he said Cantwell to stop making
a few hours following the is a First Amendment," he leader of a white suprem- it never rose to the level of "unlawful threats" against
four-day trial. Cantwell fac- said. "But when you violate acist group of which the an actual threat, nor was it the plaintiffs and their lead
es up to 22 years in prison the regulate norms that ap- man was a member, au- tied to anything of value. attorney. Cantwell is one
and will be sentenced Jan. ply — you can't threaten thorities said. The Associat- He portrayed Cantwell as two dozen groups and in-
4. He will remain in Strafford someone as part of an ex- ed Press is not naming the angry over harassment dividual defendants in that
County jail. tortion attempt — it isn't go- man to protect the identify and bullying from the Bowl case that is expected to go
"We're pleased that justice ing to matter even if it is in of his wife. Patrol. Members disrupted to trial in April.
has been done and we're the white nationalist inter- He was arrested in Janu- his radio show for months "Today marks an important
glad to have been vindi- net world." ary on federal charges and with pranks and defaced step toward accountability
cated," Assistant U.S. Attor- Cantwell, dressed in a had pleaded not guilty. his website with pornogra- for Cantwell's long history
ney John Davis said after shirt and tie and wearing Cantwell is also accused of phy and violent content, of violence and bigotry,"
the verdict. a mask, did not appear threatening to expose the Wolpin said. said Amy Spitalnick, the ex-
Davis said he hoped there to show any visible reac- man's identity and warning Cantwell previously plead- ecutive director of the civil
would be a "deterrent val- tion to the verdict. His de- "you will lose everything you ed guilty to assault in 2018 rights group Integrity First for
ue" in the conviction that fense team declined to have" if he didn't provide after he was accused of America which is funding
might resonate among "ev- comment. Authorities say the personal details about using pepper spray during the lawsuit.q

Texas sheriff indicted after probe into Black man's death

show Sheriff Robert Chody Ambler's death was under- to a report first published
is facing the third-degree way, the sheriff did "destroy by the Austin American-
felony charge that is pun- or conceal" recordings Statesman and KVUE-TV.
ishable by up to 10 years in "with intent to impair their The deputies were being
prison. He was booked into ability as evidence in the filmed for A&E Network's
his jail Monday on a $10,000 investigation." Prosecutors real-time police show "Live
bond. could not immediately be PD," a feature of the arrest
In June, Williamson County reached for comment but that prosecutors said was
prosecutors announced they scheduled a Monday particularly troubling.
an investigation "involv- afternoon news confer- Police body camera video
ing possible tampering ence. of Ambler's death shows the
with evidence" following Chody, who is running for gasping 400-pound (180-ki-
the 40-year-old Ambler's reelection in November, logram) man telling the
death in March 2019. Am- scheduled his own news deputies that he wants to
bler died after Williamson conference later Monday. comply with their demands
In this Sept. 28, 2020, booking photo provided by the Williamson County sheriff's deputies re- His booking photo posted but that he can't because
County, Texas, Sheriff's office shows Sheriff Robert Chody, who peatedly used stun guns on by the jail showed Chody he has congestive heart
was booked into his jail Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, on a $10,000 him, despite his pleas that smiling in a suit, standing failure. Investigators with
bond. he was sick and couldn't in front of the Williamson the Williamson County sher-
Associated Press breathe. County Sheriff's Office logo. iff's department of internal
By PAUL J. WEBER video in an investigation Travis County prosecutors Williamson County depu- affairs determined that the
Associated Press into the death in custody are separately investigat- ties attempted to pull Am- deputies didn't violate pur-
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A of a Black man, Javier Am- ing the use of force in Am- bler over on March 28, suit or use-of-force policies.
grand jury on Monday in- bler, that was filmed by a bler's death. 2019, near downtown Aus- Their report doesn't indi-
dicted a Texas sheriff on police reality TV series "Live Court records show Chody tin because he failed to cate whether the deputies
charges accusing him of PD." was indicted on charges dim his headlights to on- were disciplined or forced
destroying or concealing Williamson County records that as an investigation into coming traffic, according to take leave.q