Posted on 04/02/2008 1:34:04 PM PDT by CedarDave
Peter Lynch gets six-month deferred sentence, ordered to anger management.
Peter Lynch, the 30-year-old University of New Mexico student who was charged in connection with tearing down a lone Mexican flag flying on the UNM campus, then tearing and trampling it, has just been found guilty in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court of criminal damage to property.
The jury took less than half an hour to reach the verdict, and Lynch showed no emotion as he learned he was guilty of the petty misdemeanor, according to the Journal's Joline Gutierrez Krueger, who was in the courtroom.
Metro Court Judge Clyde DeMersseman imposed a six-month deferred sentence, which means if Lynch successfully completes probation, the offense will be expunged from his record.
The judge ordered Lynch to replace the flag he destroyed, to perform 48 hours of community service and to successfully complete a program of anger management.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
Student Tears (Down) Mexican Flag; Suspect Remains At Large
A Peter Lynch signed up on here last fall and discussed the incident, but he is not listed now as a FReeper.
NM Ping!
Nothing posted since last October, though.
Hopefully his lawyers gave him advice to shut up. Every post he makes admitting to it could be used against him.
But if it was an American flag, well, why that would have been free speech - it’s a hate crime if it’s done to any other countries flag ......
Just found the full name myself; didn’t have the middle initial.
The kid should get a medal. What’s a Mexican flag doing on a US school campus in the first place?
Lots of discussion at the earlier link (and lots of mod deletions!).
Getting stolen and destroyed it sounds like
The flag, which had been put up for Mexican Independence Day, was never supposed to have been flying by itself, but when the Army ROTC on campus went to retire the U.S. and state flags on the evening of Sept. 14, 2007, they left the Mexican flag flying, thinking its owners would take it down, the Journal has reported.
Then, the Army ROTC students, who were supposed to raise the U.S. and New Mexico flags on the following day forgot to do so, the Journal said.
“But if it was an American flag, well, why that would have been free speech - it’s a hate crime if it’s done to any other countries flag ......”
No, it’s illegal when you destroy property that doesn’t belong to you. He should have been charged.
“The kid should get a medal. What’s a Mexican flag doing on a US school campus in the first place?”
A medal for destroying private property? Great idea.
"Metro Court Judge Clyde DeMersseman, meanwhile, has yet to rule on whether the jury will hear testimony about Lynch allegedly posting a statement on the Internet calling Mexicans “wetbacks.” Lynch has previously told the Journal that he didn't believe he posted the message."
I wonder if the FR account was actually him..
Hey it got plenty of attention back during the days of Sam Adams.
I don’t necessarily care for the destruction of someone else’s property, but in the specific case of a mexican flag flying on U.S. soil, I don’t cry about it, either.
I agree this is a First Ammendment isse not a property issue.
#&@*$ your anger management class.
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