Hass criminal frequency process: After a 4-hour consideration, jury returns a guilty judgment in all cases. | News

Denver • The jurors found Derrick Bernard Jr. and Ashley Blackcloud before the conspiracy and intimidation of the US district court a hate crime “Hoax”, which made headlines during the Colorado Springs mayor elections.

The jury thought about four hours before reaching its judgment.

Bernard (35) and Blackcloud (40) were found to be guilty of counting one count of conspiracies and conveying incorrect information too malicious in order to intimidate another person, and are exposed to fines with a prison sentence of up to 15 years and $ 500,000.

Bernard's court hearing was determined on September 11th. Blackcloud is to be convicted on September 17th.

The mayor of Colorado Springs, Yemi Mobolade, who had testified in this case as a victim, made an explanation late Friday in which he thanked for the result.

“This moment brings a feeling of closure and relief, not only for our family, but also for the Colorado Springs Community as a whole,” was part of his statement. “Moments like this remind us that hate has no home in our city. When we move forward, we do this with gratitude, healing and commitment to the values ​​that make Colorado Springs a safe, fair and united community.”

Bernard and Blackcloud sat through the five -day process, in which evidence for the introduction and testimony heard. A suspected co -sword that testified to Deanna West, 38, has completed a plea and must also be convicted in September.

Court files showed that the defense of Bernard and Blackcloud had to testify several witnesses, but none of them were called to the stand, even though Bernard said in his own name on Thursday.

Before completing the arguments, the US district judge 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 previously alleged defense claimed.

The case began in November, when the US law firm for Colorado announced that a federal jury had accused Bernard, Blackcloud and West to “convey malicious information about a threat to Fire to support the later winner of the mayor's Mobolade, who won against Wayne Wayne Wayne Wayne support.

Videos and photos of the incident in the early morning on April 23, 2023, which included a cross burn and a publication of a racist slur, were sent to a mass -e -mail on the media along the front, whereby the law described as “disgusting” and could be to blame for Williams, because it could be to blame because it “gains tough profits”.

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. Blackcloud and Bernard's lawyers have argued that their defendants only intend to drum “sympathy and support” for Mobolades campaign.

Mobolade and his wife Abbey Mobolade were emotional in their testimony at the beginning of this week when they told their experience.

Fields said that BlackCloud and Bernard do not mean the threat to the subordination of violence that they spread false stories to support the claim that it is 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. She said it was simply a “political stunt” and 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 outbreak of the news, and when he did it, it was a call to police chief Adrian Vasquez. 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 took his advice against his advice on Thursday. Glover said the jury that he had not expected a judgment to be easy, but insisted that his client had no sick intentions.