A United States Navy Veteran pleaded guilty to toppling a satanic statue in Iowa last December in exchange for having a felony hate crime charge against him dropped, The Christian Post reported.
The veteran and former candidate for the Mississippi House of Representatives, 36-year-old Michael Cassidy, was charged after dismantling a statue dedicated to Baphomet built near a Nativity scene in Des Moines before throwing its dislodged ram’s head in the trash, according to The Christian Post.
Cassidy originally turned himself in to authorities and was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, classified as a misdemeanor, but the Polk County Attorney’s Office increased the charge to a felony in January, The Christian Post reported. (RELATED: Topless, Shoeless Woman Breaks Into Church And Destroys Jesus Statue)
Christian veteran who toppled satanic statue in Iowa no longer facing felony hate crime charge https://t.co/4tcEVv27hU
— The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) May 29, 2024
Cassidy, who was slated to stand trial on June 3 with the potential of a five-year jail sentence if convicted, made a deal to plead guilty to a third-degree criminal mischief charge that didn’t include the hate crime enhancement, according to the The Des Moines Register.
In exchange for the lighter charge, Cassidy was forced to admit in writing that he caused more than $750 in damage when he “partially dismantled a display in the Iowa State Capitol Building, without a right/license to do so,” The Christian Post reported.
“Not today, Satan,” Cassidy tweeted last Friday. “Pleased to announce the Iowa DA just dropped their absurd felony hate crime charge and instead offered a deferred judgement misdemeanor (a fine, no jail time, nothing permanent on my record), which I accepted.”
Not today, Satan.
Pleased to announce the Iowa DA just dropped their absurd felony hate crime charge and instead offered a deferred judgement misdemeanor (a fine, no jail time, nothing permanent on my record), which I accepted. Many thanks to my family, my lawyers, my community,…— Michael Cassidy ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@Mike_Cassidy_MS) May 24, 2024
The Polk County Attorney’s Office publicly defended the hate crime charge in the Des Moines Register, The Christian Post reported.
“While we believe the defendant did commit a crime in violation of individual rights, the decision to allow the defendant to plead guilty to an aggravated misdemeanor took into consideration various factors we weigh when we make a plea offer,” spokesperson Lynn Hicks said.
Cassidy’s attorney Davis Younts told The Republic Sentinel, “Forcing the prosecutors to drop the hate crime is a huge victory for Cassidy and for religious freedom.”
