Rocky Mount man guilty of hanging a noose is jailed over new yard sign

Roanoke Times ^ | December 2, 2015 | Neil Harvey

[sparklite2]

The Rocky Mount man who was convicted of hanging a noose in his front yard - and who is due to be sentenced for that crime next week - is back in jail, accused of making another provocative public display.

At his trial in September, Jack Eugene Turner, 52, was found guilty of a Class 6 felony. He was allowed to remain free on bond, but one of the conditions of his release was that he not post any further symbols or messages in his yard on Lindsey Lane.

On Tuesday, police said Turner was arrested for a second time after he put up a sign in front of his home that read 'N----- lives don't matter. Got rope?'

[sparklite2]

Because free speech is only free if it offends no one.

[Daveinyork]

There goes Halloween.

[Responsibility2nd]

Turner should be free to post whatever he likes. Last time I looked - terminal stupidity was not outlawed in the Constitution.

[Tax-chick]

Judge Joseph Canada ruled that Turner had violated a 2009 Virginia statute that prohibits hanging a noose to intimidate someone, a felony that carries penalties ranging from no jail time to up to five years in prison and fines of $2,500. "The statute, in my opinion, was written for a case like this," Canada said.

[XRdsRev]

The guy is a jerk but that shouldn’t be illegal.

[JimRed]

Yes, but stupidity like his needs restrainin’.

[JimRed]

By restrainin’ I don’t mean imprisonment, except for his own protection.

[cripplecreek]

Not my kind of guy obviously but he should be free to say whatever he wants on his own property.

It neither breaks my leg nor picks my pocket.

[apocalypto]

There is a law against hanging a noose on ones front lawn?

[Boogieman]

Sounds like a case for the Supreme Court. I have no doubt he would win if he fights it.

[smartyaz]

[lacrew]

“Sounds like a case for the Supreme Court. I have no doubt he would win if he fights it.”

I wouldn’t put anything past the supremes these days.

[doorgunner69]

Unless the guy was threatening to slip the noose over someone's head, how could it be "intimidating'?

Are the blacks in that area that easily intimidated? I doubt it, more likely the pansy white liberals.

[Dr. Sivana]

Two of my children are black. I want crazies like that to make themselves visible so we know to stay away from them. I find the “I Love Obamacare” bumperstickers to be just as offensive, where do we stop?

[Tax-chick]

It sounds like the law wants to treat “noose-displaying” as a credible threat to attempt to harm another person. Is that consistent with other types of credible threat to harm?

For example, suppose you’re standing in someone’s front yard with a gun, and you say, “I’m going to shoot you!” Would that be a felony?

[Dr. Sivana]

Yes, but stupidity like his needs restrainin’.

It is hard to come up with enough laws to restrain creative stupidity.

[Tax-chick]

Unless the guy was threatening to slip the noose over someone's head, how could it be "intimidating"?

It appears that the law treats the display of the noose as a specific threat of harm to individual black people.

I'm not defending it, just trying to understand it.

[matt1234]

Nazgul?

[TheDon]

The Rocky Mount man who was convicted of hanging a noose in his front yard

A rather blatantly unconstitutional law.