A San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge let stand hate crime charges against four defendants who are accused of burning a cross outside of a black woman’s Arroyo Grande home.
Defense lawyers argued the hate crime allegations should be dropped because, in this case, the cross burning was symbolic speech. The cross was burned on March 18 at the site where the father of one of the defendants was killed by a sheriff’s deputy 17 years before.
Judge Jacquelyn Duffy rejected the defense motion saying First Amendment protections did not apply in this case. The next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 2.
This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 3, 2011.