This is what they think about us...the value they put on our lives.
Byrd is the black man who was dragged to death behind a pickup truck in the East Texas county by three white men in 1998. On May 6, racial slurs and profanities were found etched into a steel plate covering part of the vault of Byrd's grave. His headstone also had been toppled.
Joshua Lee Talley, 19, of Jasper, was sentenced by state District Judge Joe Bob Golden to five months in jail and 10 years probation after pleading guilty to desecrating the grave out of racial prejudice, Tom Chambers, an assistant district attorney for Jasper County, said.
Talley also was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution, perform 250 hours of community service and take part in a cultural awareness program.
The restitution will pay for the restoration of Byrd's grave and repairing damage to other gravesites and thefts committed during their "little crime spree," Chambers said.
Talley will have to spend only an additional month in jail because he's been locked up for the last four, Chambers said.
"I think our office was satisfied with the result," he said.
"We kept in constant contact with the Byrd family. Everybody was on the same page with this. Mr. Talley looked remorseful (Wednesday) and he has written (Byrd's mother) an apology letter. She appreciated that."
Several tips led police to arrest Talley and John Matthew Fowler, 18, of Call Junction. Each was charged with one criminal mischief charge related to the desecration of Byrd's grave and seven unrelated theft, burglary and criminal mischief charges. Talley's guilty plea means he will not face trial on the seven unrelated charges, Chambers said.
If Talley had gone to trial for desecrating Byrd's grave, he could have faced up to 10 years in prison if it was proven the crime occurred as the result of "bias or prejudice."
Fowler, free on bond, remains scheduled to go to trial for desecrating Byrd's grave and as well as the other charges, Chambers said.
"There's little or no doubt that what they did to James Byrd's (grave) was racially motivated," he said.
If Talley does all he is ordered to do and completes his probation, the Jasper County District Attorney's Office will dismiss the case against him, meaning he won't have a felony conviction on his record.
"I didn't want to necessarily stick him with a felony conviction at such a young age," Chambers said. "If we're going to try to rehabilitate him, we should go all the way."
James Byrd, modern day lyching drug behind a truck, throat slit 1998 Jasper Texas....now this young cracker chooses to mess with the dead brother's grave why ...just because he got white folk in trouble......does he get the max penalty...nah...five months... probation etc....if you're caught fighting dogs you get 3 years min. for each count .....funny huh.....
more lynchings to come....
Mississippi Red :grin: