Poll of the Day > Iowa Man gets 15 YEARS in PRISON for BURNING an LGBTQ FLAG!!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

30 y/o anti-gay pig, Adolfo Martinez from Iowa was sentenced to 15 YEARS in the big house for a hate crime of arson after he BURNED an LGBTQ flag flying at a CHURCH!!

He was also given a year for reckless use of explosives or fire and 30 days for harassment as they will be served consecutively

He was found guilty of a hate crime that is a class D felony, 3rd degree harassment and reckless use of fire

He stole the flag hung at Ames United Church of Christ and it was found burning on June 11 outside Dangerous Curves Gentleman's Club

The media spoke to him back in November and said he did it because he is FIERCELY against HOMOSEXUALITY and did it for GOD!

He declined to give his side of the story and said "It is my honour, it is written, it is a judgement and it is written to execute vengeance on the heathen and punishments upon the people. it is my honour to do so, and it is honour to do that. it is a blessing from the Lord, plain and simple. It was an honour to do that, it's a blessing from the Lord to be able to stand for his word firmly against all odds plain and simple. I wish no harm upon any individual however if you guys are going to bring forth and address it in such a manner than by all means necessary bring it forth bro, i have God on my side".

In his bizarre interview he was SHOUTING at the reporter and said he had NO REGRETS but said he is guilty as charged and said it live on air and burned down their "pride" and said NON-BELIEVERS would agree with him as he told the media "I have the spirit of God on my side BRO"

Do you think what he did deserves 15 years?

Aldofo - Going Yellow to Orange

https://i.imgur.com/MGzUxrF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yj5qW5M.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SOciAD7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xLjHai2.jpg

Where the flag was hung -

https://i.imgur.com/ou0LBZa.jpg

Where the burnt flag was found -

https://i.imgur.com/BawPcDr.jpg
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Sounds pretty reasonable, though he would probably benefit more from having his psychotic delusions treated than from being in jail.

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Coming into the topic I was going to say it sounded somewhat excessive, as though he's being made an example of, but after learning that the flag wasn't his, that not only did he steal it, but he stole from a church, and his reaction, no. He deserves no leniency.
God does not live in the hearts of those who would would use His name to sow fear, hatred, and disunity. This one is a hopeless fool. Best to keep him on ice, at least until his more able years are behind him.

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If it was just burning a flag then I would say no but as already been said, given the rest of it it's a fair, next.

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So Theft and Arson=15 years?

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deoxxys posted...

So Theft and Arson=15 years?

Harassment and hate crime too.

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wwinterj25 posted...

Harassment and hate crime too.

So hate crime adds, what, 12 years?
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lolwut

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I'm surprised he wasn't also charged and convicted for theft.

I think the time is excessive for the charges he was convicted on. I suspect he was hoping to get other people to copy what he did, so a harsh sentence may be because the judge wanted to make an example out of him as a deterrent to others. Don't know much about the case though so that's just speculation.

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The piece of shit deserves time but 15 years seems a bit excessive.

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I'd say 5 years would be plenty, 15 seems excessive

Full Throttle posted...

"I have the spirit of God on my side BRO"

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Kyuubi4269 posted...

So hate crime adds, what, 12 years?

An open, unrepentant threat to a large number of people? Yeah, sounds about right.

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15 years is insane. And arguing that going overboard on punishment sends a message to would-be copycats is just wrong, considering that we already know that the most extreme punitive measures -- like the death penalty -- have had little impact on modifying behavior. If they wanted an overly harsh punishment for theft, vandalism, and threatening behavior, 5 years is more than enough. But, as others have noted, the guy sounds like he needs a psych eval first.

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adjl posted...

An open, unrepentant threat to a large number of people? Yeah, sounds about right.

A threat that doesn't have significant weight seeing as he's one man who wasn't willing to actually hurt anybody despite the "threat". He could have punched out one of them and got less time.

What he did was a demonstration that is functionally no different to burning the US flag to protest the war on Iraq.
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Except that he stole someone else's flag, Kyuubi. By all means, burn a flag, but it had damn well better be your property that you're burning.

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Gaawa_chan posted...

Except that he stole someone else's flag, Kyuubi. By all means, burn a flag, but it had damn well better be your property that you're burning.

He would have got less time for burning your pet, Gaawa.
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Anyone who thinks this is worth 15 YEARS is insane, maybe 15 months and compensation payments for the flag, but destroying someone's life over this is a sick joke.

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streamofthesky posted...

I'd say 5 years would be plenty, 15 seems excessive

This tbh. Im sure he wont actually be in there for 15 though.

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He deserves time for theft and arson, but certainly not a hate crime. Unless burning flags is illegal where this happened I don't see how it can constitute a hate crime.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

He would have got less time for burning your pet, Gaawa.

I did say earlier that the sentence was excessive, but way to dodge the point.

And that's true. Animals are generally given less regard than non-living property in the eyes of the law.

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I hate how this been presented in certain circles. He didnt simply burn a pride flag. He vandalized a property. If you did this to an american flag on someone property, you can expect jail time.

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Extreme_light posted...

I hate how this been presented in certain circles. He didnt simply burn a pride flag. He vandalized a property. If you did this to an american flag on someone property, you can expect jail time.

Not 15 years though lmao

Even if he gets out before then, any sentencing over a year is a joke for a crime like this one.

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I haven't found any exact wording on the reasoning, but according to this article:
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/iowa-man-sentenced-15-years-after-burning-church-s-lgbtq-n1105131

At the time of his November conviction, KCCI reported that the "habitual offender" charge filed against Martinez called for a lengthier penalty.

So that on top of the hate crime status lengthened the sentence.
From the same article:

Courtney Reyes, executive director of One Iowa, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group, said while her organization appreciates the seriousness with which this biased incident was addressed, "we will continue to strive for a justice system which values restoration over punishment and helps individuals like Adolfo Martinez understand the harm that theyve caused."
"Hate crimes against the LGBTQ community are a serious matter as they inflict distinct emotional harms on their victims, and strike fear into the communities they target," Reyes told NBC News. "That said, true justice should always strive to be about rehabilitation, reconciliation, and healing communities. It is difficult to see how a 16-year prison sentence accomplishes any of those goals."

Edit: Got a bit more:

"I believe him to be very dangerous," Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds said. "That's why my office recommended the maximum sentence."
Reynolds said the judge agreed to the 17-year sentence because Martinez has a long history of harassment and is a habitual offender and never showed any remorse.
"The defendant stated that there was nothing the judge could to stop him from continuing this behavior and that he would continue to do this no matter what," she said.

Lack of remorse is often a justification for aiming for a higher sentence as well. His attitude probably did not endear him to the judge or jury. Edit: Forgot the link for this one, sorry:
https://www.kcci.com/article/adolfo-martinez-sentenced-for-setting-fire-to-church-lgbtq-flag/30281099

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Kyuubi4269 posted...

So hate crime adds, what, 12 years?

Yeah in America apparently.

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You're allowed to burn a flag in protest.... but not while it's attached to a building!

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I wonder if trump will pardon him.

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Gaawa_chan posted...

I did say earlier that the sentence was excessive, but way to dodge the point.

You said 12 years for a hate crime "sounds about right", I challenged that, but way to misdirect.

Gaawa_chan posted...

Lack of remorse is often a justification for aiming for a higher sentence as well.

The maximum sentence shouldn't be that high in any situation.
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Kyuubi4269 posted...

You said 12 years for a hate crime "sounds about right", I challenged that, but way to misdirect.

No, I didn't. Don't participate in a conversation if you can't even keep the users you're talking to straight despite the fact that usernames are attached to each post. Unless, of course, you are deliberately misdirecting... again.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

The maximum sentence shouldn't be that high in any situation.

https://nypost.com/2019/06/12/man-raped-infant-daughter-before-killing-her-in-new-york-cemetery-court-docs/

This is beside the point, however. I posted that information purely to inform other posters as to the reasoning behind the sentence. That in no way implies that I agree with the sentence.

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Gaawa_chan posted...

No, I didn't.

Oh, you're right, you interjected in someone else's defense of it. Which is functionally the same.

Don't speak for someone else if you don't know what they're saying.

Gaawa_chan posted...

https://nypost.com/2019/06/12/man-raped-infant-daughter-before-killing-her-in-new-york-cemetery-court-docs/

This is beside the point, however. I posted that information purely to inform other posters as to the reasoning behind the sentence. That in no way implies that I agree with the sentence.

That has nothing to do with arson, hate crimes or harassment. It gives no reasoning to this case as it's unrelated.
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Repeat offender
not remorseful
stolen property
hate crime
arson

15 sounds fine. Hell probably be out earlier anyway

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Kyuubi4269 posted...

That has nothing to do with arson, hate crimes or harassment. It gives no reasoning to this case as it's unrelated.

Your exact statement was "the maximum sentence shouldn't be that high in any situation." The presentation of a situation in which the maximum sentence should be that high is absolutely related to that statement. It doesn't need to be related to the case in this topic, just to the much broader statement you made.

OrangeDawn posted...

Repeat offender
not remorseful
stolen property
hate crime
arson

15 sounds fine. Hell probably be out earlier anyway

Pretty much. Again, this is a blatant, unrepentant threat to a large number of people. He's done stuff like this before, he's explicitly stated that he intends to keep doing such things as long as he's able, so it's best to take away that ability before he hurts someone. He himself has insisted that he won't change his mind and become less dangerous, so it's only sensible to ensure he doesn't have the ability to hurt anyone else for as long as is possible. He repents, then he can appeal for a shorter sentence.

Yeah, considering the litany of crimes and his previous history, 15 years does seem fair now.

Is it really that hard to be a decent human being?

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SunWuKung420 posted...

Is it really that hard to be a decent human being?

I mean, if he's committing serial arson in the name of his religion, odds are he's suffering from some degree of delusion that makes him think this is being a decent human being. In that case, yes, it is that hard to be a decent human being, which is why I figured treating his psychosis would be more likely to solve the problem than locking him up for a decade and a half.

Alas, the US is not a country that values rehabilitation via its justice system, so the next best option is to lock him up to ensure the world is safe from him.

Clearly WAY too extreme a penalty, but dude is clearly scum so I'm not complaining.

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_AdjI_ posted...

Your exact statement was "the maximum sentence shouldn't be that high in any situation." The presentation of a situation in which the maximum sentence should be that high is absolutely related to that statement.

It's a different crime. Considering the circumstances it obviously mean "this crime should not have that high a sentence in any situation."

There's also the somewhat unrelated belief that I think sentences that high should just become death penalty.
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Kyuubi4269 posted...

It's a different crime. Considering the circumstances it obviously mean "this crime should not have that high a sentence in any situation."

If that's what you mean, that's what you should say. The argument that no sentence should ever be so high is not an uncommon one. There's no reason here to not think that you were making that argument instead of anything more specific.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

There's also the somewhat unrelated belief that I think sentences that high should just become death penalty.

Not really. For most people, there's still plenty of life left after 15 years. With a decent, rehab-focused prison system, anyone that's able and willing to reform will be perfectly capable of living a healthy, productive life afterwards. Less so with the "just sit in there and suffer for 15 years and then we'll spit you out as a 40-year-old with no useful professional skills" approach that's more common in America, but there's still no reason to jump straight to "your life is basically over let's just kill you."

_AdjI_ posted...

If that's what you mean, that's what you should say. The argument that no sentence should ever be so high is not an uncommon one. There's no reason here to not think that you were making that argument instead of anything more specific.

It's a wild one, and if I meant it, I would say it.

_AdjI_ posted...

Not really. For most people, there's still plenty of life left after 15 years. With a decent, rehab-focused prison system, anyone that's able and willing to reform will be perfectly capable of living a healthy, productive life afterwards.

If somebody or something imprisoned me for 15 years, I would be too full of spite to be productive, particularly when we're talking about being arrested for 15 years for burning an ugly cloth._AdjI_ posted...

there's still no reason to jump straight to "your life is basically over let's just kill you."

If you want to trap somebody for 15 years, it would be kinder to kill. A long prison sentence is cruel, sick shit that no empathetic person should be able to subject another person to.
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Kyuubi4269 posted...

If somebody or something imprisoned me for 15 years, I would be too full of spite to be productive,

That's your problem.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

particularly when we're talking about being arrested for 15 years for burning an ugly cloth.

And in doing so issuing a blatant, unrepentant threat to a large number of people, a threat that has been made many times before. Surely not even you are going to be so disingenuous as to suggest that burning a pride flag is no different from burning a bedsheet.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

If you want to trap somebody for 15 years, it would be kinder to kill.

It's not the justice system's job to be kind. It's the justice system's job to keep society safe and running smoothly.

_AdjI_ posted...

And in doing so issuing a blatant, unrepentant threat to a large number of people, a threat that has been made many times before. Surely not even you are going to be so disingenuous as to suggest that burning a pride flag is no different from burning a bedsheet.

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise that all the people burning US flags were imprisoned for over a decade.

Oh wait, that's just freedom of expression.

There are more Americans than gay people in the world, it is a bigger "threat" than burning a rainbow flag, but apparently that's fine.

_AdjI_ posted...

It's not the justice system's job to be kind. It's the justice system's job to keep society safe and running smoothly.

Pick a fucking lane. If it's not the job of the justice system to be kind then the death penalty needs to be reinstated and people on death row need to be killed off now.

Either kindness or pragmatism, the death sentence serves both ends. Holding people captive and attempting to indoctrinate them only serves to make you feel better and pretend you're making them better.

The death sentence is a mercy that protects society, freeing people who feign compliance after torture is a threat to people's well-being and helps you justify inhumane captivity.
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Kyuubi4269 posted...

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realise that all the people burning US flags were imprisoned for over a decade.

Oh wait, that's just freedom of expression.

There are more Americans than gay people in the world, it is a bigger "threat" than burning a rainbow flag, but apparently that's fine.

You're really not very good at understanding behavioural nuance if you think burning an American flag and burning a pride flag are equivalent actions in terms of the threatening intent behind them.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Pick a f***ing lane. If it's not the job of the justice system to be kind then the death penalty needs to be reinstated and people on death row need to be killed off now.

Either kindness or pragmatism, the death sentence serves both ends. Holding people captive and attempting to indoctrinate them only serves to make you feel better and pretend you're making them better.

The death sentence is a mercy that protects society, freeing people who feign compliance after torture is a threat to people's well-being and helps you justify inhumane captivity.

Death sentences cost more than life imprisonments, to say nothing of the very real possibility of rehabilitation after release from a finite sentence (under a reasonable system, which, again, Americans aren't very good at). Long prison sentences are more practical than the death penalty. This is the pragmatic option.

I owe Ah', Man. Similair to Floor eeh Duh Man.
Dumb Angry White people. All the Same.

Hell you can still brainwash anyone these days, much easier than back in previous decades.
Did Trump Dump Clump the Wump Fwump make Merica Great Again Yet?

So far all I've seen is China Censoring Disney...

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I don't believe this story is real for a second. No one would get 15 years for that.

Cold_Chili posted...

I don't believe this story is real for a second. No one would get 15 years for that.

Nobody thought this car chase would result in a 160 year sentence but it did.

https://youtu.be/PmHuL-M9V7I

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Krow_Incarnate posted...

Not 15 years though lmao

Even if he gets out before then, any sentencing over a year is a joke for a crime like this one.

I mean sure.

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