AMES – An Ames man found guilty of a hate crime after he tore a gay pride flag off the wall of a church and tried to burn it this past summer got a stiff prison sentence of 15 years, minimum.
The incident took place Monday evening, June 10, 2019 at the Ames United Church of Christ, 217 6th street. According to a statement from the church, “a 30 year old man who lives one block from our church tore down the God is Still Speaking queer pride banner from the southwest corner of our sanctuary and tried to set it on fire. He was intercepted and arrested by the Ames Police Department.”
Later, another statement from the church read, “On speaking with the police commander, I can share with you that this act of violence against our church was part of a larger series of events. However, the suspect specifically named our pride banner as a target, bypassing our much easier to reach pro-immigrant and pro-Muslim banner. It seems that our affirmation of God’s love for LGBTQIA+ people was bothersome enough that in a time of crisis, that affirmation became the target of his anger.”
WHOTV reported that an employee at nearly gentlemen’s club told them, “He was holding the flag in one hand and he was spraying it with lighter fluid at the same time in doing that he caught a patrons car tire on fire.”
Arrested was 30-year-old Adolfo Martinez and charged with 1st degree harassment and reckless use of fire or explosives, court records show.
On November 6, it was announced by the Story county attorney’s office, “Historic jury verdict. Story County jury finds Adolfo Martinez GUILTY of a hate crime, Harassment, Reckless Use Of Fire and Habitual Offender. Hate crimes will not be tolerated in my jurisdiction and will be aggressively prosecuted.”
Sentencing was held on December 18, 2019. Martinez must serve at least 15 years in prison and pay $1,525.50 in fines and court fees.
So where do we contribute for his appeal and defense?
Give one of the Trump boys a call. They will help you out
15 years for burning a fag flag. What’s this country coming to?
Remember back when homosexuals claimed they are discriminated against like women, blacks, etc. Because homos claim they are born like that. Dumb homos.
Fast forward to today this perversion has so called churches spreading garbage.
Just think it all started in in Iowa with liberal judges.
These were just legal steps that allow the democrats get closer to legalization ( or look the other way ) of child molestation and human trafficking.
I’m sure glad I’m not a republican who has to defend your kind of trash belonging to the same group of people. I would have a hard time justifying your bullshit to anyone.
The law is only a guideline. You can do or say what you want. Of course if you choose unwisely there are consequences. Burning any flag is a dumb idea. America likes it flags. They’re everywhere. Probably the flag capital of the world.
Why don’t you go to another country and burn one of their flags and see what that will get you.
here’s a few that desecrating their flag means legal problems. Argentina-1 to 4 years of imprisonment, Austria-up to 6 months, China-up to three years, criminal detention, public surveillance, or deprivation of political rights, last one I’ll put up, Mexico-The use of the National Symbols (Coat of Arms, Anthem, and National Flag) in Mexico is protected by law.[85] In Mexico the desecration of the flag is illegal.
Quite a few of you do not seem to understand the difference between Hate crimes and free speech.
Some challenged Hate crimes legislation on the ground that the laws violate their right to free speech, those challenges have generally not been successful, so long as the law criminalizes bias-motivated conduct, including threats, assault, and vandalism, and not merely hateful thoughts or words. (Wisconsin v. Mitchell).
Not all speech is protected. … They include obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement, true threats and speech integral to already criminal conduct. First Amendment exceptions are not an open-ended category, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly declined to add to them, especially in the last generation. However, Hate speech is protected (not regulated), and thus is constitutional.
But, such Hate speech can be used as evidence as evidence of a criminal act, as it was in this case. It helped establish bias. But it was his actions that warranted a guilty verdict, and not merely his speech.
No.
He got 15 years because he committed a hate crime.
How about 15 years for being in the country illegally, with 5 years knocked off for good behavior – i.e. for cleaning up the town and incinerating the garbage he collects?
he he, good one!
It’s nice to know that we can abort children but not do anything to a flag. Of course the flag did belong to someone else, whereas aborted children are usually feral I guess. It’s all so confusing these days.
Basically 15 years for stealing a flag? Hate speech is not a real thing. Anyone is allowed to feel act or say however or whatever they want. That’s called freedom of speech. Yes supposedly freedom of speech only protects you from the government. That’s outdated. Freedom means free. That’s how I operate and it’s how every real american operates in their daily lives. This is just an overreaction by a judge that wants the gay vote or figured hed lose his job if he didnt play the hitman for homosexuals. Its disgusting that 3% of the population has this amount of power. That people see this as any different than burning an American flag. Its just a rag. It wasn’t a person. He should have been charged with destruction of personal property and that’s it. Fvck churchs and fvck f*gs too. You’re not special groups above the rest of us deserving of special treatment. You people need to decide if freedom equality and liberty are really your bag. If you support this decision they are not and you’re a fool.
“Yes supposedly freedom of speech only protects you from the government. That’s outdated. Freedom means free. That’s how I operate and it’s how every real american operates in their daily lives.”
The proof that you are an idiot.
Is this a joke!? His burning the homo flag is just as constitutionally protected as someone pissing on the star spangled banner. Vandalism, nothing more. Hope the defense has the resources to appeal so that a competent court can set this straight.
The key to the whole thing is that it was not his property. If he had bought it and burned it, there would be no harm, no foul. He destroyed something that belonged to somebody, doesn’t matter what it was.
*Somebody ELSE
ok so i if i destroy your ugly lawn gnome because it was, well, ugly, then the same court would give me 15? you really believe that?
So you’re good with 15 years for theft and destruction of personal property when the flag itself probably cost 15 dollars? See how you’re still an idiot?
Whoever Matt copy and pasted this from is incorrect. He didn’t get a minimum of 15 years. He was sentenced to up to 15 years on the arson charge (enhanced habitual offender), a year for reckless use of fire and 30 days for harassment. He’ll be eligible for parole in three years.
i would like to believe you but it is hard reconcile quotes in this article with your claims so can you please provide a link to your source?
I got it directly from the Order of Disposition on the Iowa Courts website. I have a subscription for Advanced Case Searches, so I don’t think you can see it. If it’s easier for you, just Google guy’s name and click on an article from a real news source.
Thanks
it is called a screen shot then.
Whaaaat???
I guess he should have burned an American flag. Wow. Just wow.
Ironic he’s going to a homosexual nightmare called jail.
I’d say that the punishment is a little extreme.
At least he didn’t sell beer to a minor than he should be hung .
apples and oranges!!!
confusing? if this would have been United States flag he burned, it would be protected free speech?
Did you see he was found guilty? Did you see it included a hate crime, harassment, habitual offender, and reckless use of fire? He has at least 10 prior convictions. If he would have burned a MAGA hat, some on this site would want him executed
“If he would have burned a MAGA hat.”
Most of you would have been setting up a legal defense fund
good idea!
kill’em all go Trump kill
“He has at least 10 prior convictions.” Where does it say that?
It doesn’t say it in the article. You have to do a little research to find that info which is what you should do on anything you read.
true
Hate speech and hate crimes are made up concepts the only people that cling to them are child minded morons. How can you have equality and hate speech/crime? You mean to tell me that If someone where to attack me a white male with a hammer itd be a crime crime. No extra sentencing. But if I where a gay black midget than somehow because I’m different than a white male it’s a hate crime? That somehow commiting an act of violence against me would be different because I’m different and my attacker gets extra time based on my differences to him? Does that sound like equality or playing favorites. To me it sounds like a great way to create more democrats. Entitled above everyone and special….
It would depend on why he attacked you. The definition of hate crime is: ” a crime, typically one involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other grounds.” So if he attacked you because he didn’t like the fact you were gay, or a midget, or black, yes, it would be a hate crime. If he attacked you because you were a dumbass, then it wouldn’t be a hate crime.
Also, he’s welcome to safely burn as many LGBT flags as he wants as long as they’re his property.
Mentally ill and going to prison. Christian practice forgiveness. This is a house of God? House of rot more like it.
Not that I would call their gay club a “house of God” but in all fairness the lesbian witch doctor running the joint actually questioned the lack of proportion, as reported elsewhere.