Hass crime 'Hoax' process: conclusion of the arguments jury reports | News

Denver • Final arguments completed on Friday morning and the jury were involved after five days in front of the US district court for the suspects in the hate crime “Hoax”, which made headlines during the Colorado Springs Mayoral in 2023 in Colorado Springs.

The co -accused in court, Derrick Bernard Jr. (35) and Ashley Blackcloud (40), sat for several days of the introduction of evidence and testimony. One of these statements came from her alleged co -configurator Deanna West, 38, whose conviction takes place in September. Court files stated that the defense had to testify several witnesses, but none of them were called to the stand.

Before concluding the arguments, judges Regina Rodriguez emphasized that the public prosecutor had to prove that the “joke” was a true threat and that the alleged actions of the accused were not protected by the first change, as the defense previously claimed.

The federal case began in November, when the US law firm for Colorado announced that a federal jury had accused the trio of “conveying malicious false information about a threat that was used with Fire” to support the support for the later winner of the Mayor race Yemi Mobolade, who after winning a clamping election against Wayne Williams from Colorado Springs won.

Videos and photos of the incident in the early morning on April 23, 2023 were sent to a mass -e -mail on the media along the front, whereby the law described as “disgusting” and point out that Williams, who is white, could be to blame because he “difficult to win” (the candidacy (the) candidacy.

Blackcloud and Bernard look at a conspiracy and convey malicious false information to intimidate another person.

The leading US lawyer Bryan Fields argued that the incident was not a “joke” for the Mobolade family, but her worst nightmare.

“This immersed this daily life in a way that should not happen in America,” said Fields.

Fields claimed that the intention of those who have made the threat does not matter and that it is only important how the victims interpreted them. The defender of Blackcloud and Bernard have argued that their defendants only intended to drum “sympathy and support” for Mobolades campaign.

Mobolade and his wife Abbey Mobolade were emotional during their statements at the beginning of this week, often with tears in their eyes when they told their experience.

Fields claimed that even if Blackcloud and Bernard did not mean the threat to the subordination of violence, they spread false stories to support the claim that it was real. This included the sharing of news articles on social media with captions that expressed their “disgust”.

Blackcloud's lawyer, Britt Morton Cobb, claimed the attitude she presented during the opening statements, and claimed that there was no evidence that the crossburn should be an actual threat. It was simply a “political stunt”, which was therefore protected by the first change.

“You can be mad at you,” said Cobb and referred to Blackcloud. “It's okay, that's fine. That doesn't make it a crime.”

COBB emphasized how Mobolade only contacted the police on Monday after the news from the news. Cobb claimed that the hesitation of calling the law enforcement authorities immediately stated that Mobolade did not consider the incident as a “true threat”.

In addition, Cobb had claimed that Mobolade had at least a certain knowledge of the “joke” and quoted the six -minute call and the texts that Bernard sent “a plan” of Mobolade.

“Politicians and their supporters sometimes do crazy things,” said Cobb.

Bernard's lawyer, Tyrone Glover, left a short closure argument after his client was against the consultation on Thursday. Glover told the jury that he had not expected a judgment, but claimed the attitude that his client never had bad.