Couple in GA who terrorized a black children's birthday party sentenced today.

[Ilsa]

They and a dozen others rode around in pickup trucks, flying US and Confederate flags, guns raised, yelling threats and racists crap at black children and their parents having a birthday party.

The judge sentenced a man to 20 years, to serve 13, and his wife to six years. After they are relleased, they can no longer live in that county.

I don't have a link yet to accurately report the sentences, but the Judge cut them no slack, no grace.

[IdiotsforPalin]

1. Bravo!

[Ilsa]

2. Happened in July 2015. Video on the internet, and

The story was reported in the NYT.

[Maru Kitteh]

3. WELL DONE. Sit and serve and then GTFO of here.

Bravo!

[50 Shades Of Blue]

4. They got what they deserved!

[DFW]

5. About time!

It does my heart good to see that people who commit hate crimes finally getting appropriate jail sentences. Maybe the next human garbage that feels the urge to act out their hate fantasies in this manner will ask themselves first if it's worth it. So far, the "Trump is now president, I can do this!" line has not been met with such a forceful "no, you can't!" from a judge with the power to put some teeth behind his statement. Was the sentence harsh? Yes. But no harsher than traumatizing a helpless kid on his birthday.

[Charles Bukowski]

6. Two less Trump voters mixing with the general population.

Winning!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. Two fewer tRump voters. Inmates can't vote. Felons can't own firearms. . . . . nt

[Runningdawg]

51. win-win I love winning!

[malaise]

7. That is how you deal with domestic terrorists

Bravo

[calimary]

18. And how! And that's exactly what you call them, too.

DOMESTIC TERRORISTS.

D-O-M-E-S-T-I-C T-E-R-R-O-R-I-S-T-S.

[NurseJackie]

8. Good! But is that legal? Can a judge legally prevent someone from living in their home county ...

... after they've served their sentence?

Is this an opening for a clever appeals lawyer to have the sentence reviewed and reduced?

[Ilsa]

10. Probably. To keep a huge buffer between criminals and victims.

Parents are still working with their kids on the hatred shown them?

[oasis]

14. I guess it would be similar to a restraining order. Judges have power.

Donald Trump found out the hard way.

[cstanleytech]

26. Aye that part might not be enforceable unless this was part of a plea bargain they made

in which case they would have to abide by the terms of it or risk going back to jail.

[malaise]

33. Good question

They used a Georgia gang law to convict them.
Remember though that this horrific behavior took pace shortly after Dylan Roof murdered those nine African-Americans in their church and the racist flag was taken down.

The cow bawling in court today had me laughing. Now she knows what that family and their friends experienced with their racist attack.

[NYC Liberal]

50. "The cow bawling in court today had me laughing" -- Me too.

But what she said was pathetic:

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," Norton told the family that endured the assault, weeping in the courtroom at Monday's sentencing. "I am so sorry."

After telling the court that she accepted responsibility for her actions, Norton turned to the area of the courtroom where families who attended the birthday party were seated.

"But I want you all to know that that is not me," Norton told them. "That is not me."

An "apology" in the passive voice and then claiming that somehow her actions "weren't her".

[ATL Ebony]

41. YES!!! At least in Georgia. It's legal and enforced.

[csziggy]

45. I'm not sure they lived in Douglas County where the children's party was

One article said, "Douglas Assistant District Attorney David Emadi detailed how the group had gone on a drunken rampage through Douglas and Paulding counties on July 24 and July 25, 2015, in pickup trucks laden with Confederate battle flags." http://www.ajc.com/news/local/judge-orders-stiff-sentences-for-two-douglasville-hate-crime/pHWEb5zXxdVqGBGxGNtorI/ But the article never mentioned where the group that was driving around was from.

It does say that the "Respect the Flag" rally was held in Paulding County.

[sheshe2]

9. Good Job!

Excellent news.

[csziggy]

12. Report from local Atlanta TV station with links and video

Couple will spend years in prison for terrorizing family with Confederate flags, shotgun

by: Steve Gehlbach, Tyisha Fernandes Updated: Feb 27, 2017 - 4:43 PM

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - A young couple was sentenced to prison for their part in a racially charged crime.

A Douglas County judge sentenced the defendants to a year longer in prison than the state was seeking: 13 years for Jose Torres and 6 years for Kayla Norton.

The couple, who have three children, was part of a larger group in July 2015 called Respect the Flag. Their convoy of trucks, flying the Confederate battle flag, pulled up to a birthday party for an 8-year-old black child.

The couple was found guilty of yelling racial slurs and threatening to kill party-goers, even the kids. Prosecutors said Torres pointed a shotgun at the party.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/couple-sentenced-for-hate-crime-involving-confederate-flags/497957531

ETA - original story from the same source: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/woman-says-men-confederate-flags-threatened-her-fa/33079157

[Ilsa]

13. Thank you. I was basing my report from what I

Heard on tv, and there were no links yet.

[Initech]

43. Respect the flag, my ass!

And it's not white terrorism, Trump will tell you.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

48. Jose Torres?

That's odd.

[tblue37]

49. I see the judge also criticism zed the cops for initially not arresting any of the

terrorists. He called the cops' decision "inexplicable."

[Demsrule86]

15. Here is a link...thanks for this.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4265496/Georgia-couple-given-years-prison-hate-crime.html

[smirkymonkey]

16. Good!

Racist assholes. I hope every minute of their time in prison is miserable.

[George II]

20. Being in racist Georgia, chances are they'll have a lot of AA "neighbors" who were set up, ...

....railroaded, and very angry.

[mr_lebowski]

38. The dude will need some swastika tats straight away ... followed by a head-shaving ...(n/a)

[George II]

17. Excellent. They're probably dirt poor enough to not be able to file an appeal. Scum.

[Demsrule86]

19. These people got what they deserved...awful people.

But I was horrified at how young they are...they threw their lives away and their kid's lives as well...so sad.

[secondwind]

21. Good stuff!

[Ken Burch]

22. Hope it holds up on appeal.

Those kids are gonna need years of therapy.

[Ken Burch]

23. One of the family members forgave the woman after she apologized.

Don't know if I could.

Also not sure if she felt she had to forgive the woman because she was scared of retribution from other bigots if she didn't.

[drm604]

24. That's a special kind of asshole.

What kind of asshole terrorizes a child's birthday party?

[SHRED]

25. They are crying because they were caught

It's that simple.

If they weren't caught they'd still be doing this or worse.

[hatrack]

30. Singing a different tune now, aren't they?

"Respect The Flag" - right, and threaten your neighbors with a shotgun.

Assholes.

[Turbineguy]

27. I bet they're glad they watched fox news

and listened to nutjob hate radio!

Think of it as an upmarket version of joining ISIS. Instead of being shot and eaten by dogs, you go to jail.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

28. Yes!

Assholes!

[cab67]

29. Here's one of the stories:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pair-who-led-racist-attack-boy-s-party-sentenced-years-n726421

They didn't just disrupt a birthday party. It looks like they drove around town brandishing shotguns.

[world wide wally]

31. And that is all it takes to get rid of assholes like that.

Now, how about that guy selling out our country to the Russians and terrorizing Mexican children?

[lunasun]

32. Imagine having to live with the memory of that birthday party. Poor kids

Cruel racist fuckers at least 2 will see some punishment

[brer cat]

34. Well deserved.

K&R

[TheDebbieDee]

35. Get this! The Judge used a law intended for URBAN gang members

to sentence these creeps to such long terms...

http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-16/chapter-15/16-15-4

[Iggo]

36. I had a very crooked smile when I was reading that.

Very crooked.

[uponit7771]

40. poetic justice no doubt

[mdbl]

37. I have no sympathy for them

I am glad a judge who recognized their heinous crime was presiding. If it had been Jeff Sessions he would have smacked their hands with a ruler and said 'Now y'all be nice'

[Stinky The Clown]

39. I hope they meet their maker before they get out

The don't deserve to live in this country among good and decent people.

[Initech]

42. Less Trump voters in the world is a good thing!

[linuxman]

44. If they were white, they'd have gotten away with it, or something...

Good call.

[chwaliszewski]

46. Kayla Rae Norton was quoted as saying...

“The worst decision I’ve ever made in my life was to not walk away when I had the chance.”

Therein is the problem with people who think like that. The worst decision is not what you've said but is, in fact, even having racist thoughts to begin with. To me, it's no different than someone saying "The worst decision I've ever made was using too much heroin." You shouldn't be using any to begin with.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

47. I hope it was worth it. nt

[townie]

52. They will have plenty of time to think about their stupidity & life choices

P

[LonePirate]

53. This news needs to be distributed far and wide in hope that it deters the next racist.

Personally, I think they received light sentences. They need more time behind bars to contemplate how despicable they truly are.