Yeah, the sentence may be a little harsh. If you want to go out and buy a gay flag and burn it on your property that is fine.
Go on someone else property and burn their gay flag (property); that is arson, so I not going to support his actions.
what is the fine for stealing a flag? $500 or less?
This is pure BS!
This is a Political Prosecution, nothing more, nothing less.
Welcome to the Banana Republic.
They include a Hate Crime Charge, blatantly Unconstitutional on its face. Hate is a Motive, it isn’t Crime.
Ther are two, possibly three charges here, all should be charged as Misdemeanors.
1. Trespassing.
2. Theft of an Item with a monetary valuation of less than $50.
3. Arson, which is this case caused no damage to anything but the stolen item. The Flag was burned, not a building or anything that would cause Physical Harm to another person.
Although by the results of this trial, if you bought a gay flag and burned it on your property, you would be prosecuted just as if you had burned a cross on your property, i.e. for a hate crime.