THE PROSECUTION RESTS
The jury was sent home and the defense will begin tomorrow. Defense attorney says it may only take a day to present his case but longer if White testifies. They are unsure about him testifying at this point - which probably means that Bill wants to and the defense is trying to dissuade him.
DAY 6
This morning brought the Director of Campus Security at the University of Deleware to the stand. Apparently, after reading about a diversity program at the University, Bill White decided once again to insert himself into the situation and threaten the Director of Residence Life. He telephoned her office and spoke with her secretary.
Idenifying himself as Bill White, the commander of a neo-Nazi group. When told that Kathleen Kerr was not available he instructed her to give Kerr the following message, according to the secretary's testimony:
“Just tell her that people who think the way she thinks, we hunt down and shoot.”
White then published the home addresses and telephone numbers of both Kerr and the university president on his website. The Director of Security was immediately summoned to the presidents office, something he says never happens unless it is a major emergency situation.
Kerr's secretary said that White's voice chilled her and was cold and "dead sounding."
DAY 5
UPDATE: 6:00 EST
After a full day of testimony, court adjourned at 5:00. The prosecution is nearing the end of its' case unless they decide to call more witnesses in an effort to demonstrate a pattern of actions by White.
It is expected that Kathleen Kerr, a university administrator, will provide testimony tomorrow. At that point, should the prosectuion believe that it has met its' burden of proof, they may rest. In any event, it looks like they will do so by Thursday at the latest.
More...tomorrow.
In the event that you haven't read the indictment, or want to again, here is a link.
UPDATE: 3:00 EST
"Unfortunately, the days when white men would simply burn the local newspaper and run n----r officials out with tar and feathers are past. However, your incidents give me hope that perhaps we shall see them again." (Bill White email to Charles Tyson)
Following the four hour testimony of Richard Warman, the stand was taken by Charles Tyson, the former Mayor of South Harrison Township in New Jersey.
In 2007, someone defaced Mr. Tyson's campaign signe with racist slurs. The Township offered a reward for information regarding the vandals. That didn't sit well with Bill White. Late one evening he called Mr. Tyson's home. When Tyson's wife answered the phone, the caller identified himself as White who then said that no black man should govern whites, and that he was going to put a Nazi sign in his front yard.
White then followed up with an e-mail. "Unfortunately, the days when white men would simply burn the local newspaper and run n----r officials out with tar and feathers are past. However, your incidents give me hope that perhaps we shall see them again."
Tyson testified that after receiving the call and the email he was "petrified."
As the trial continues it becomes evident that threats made by White were not just isolated incidents. His reign of terror reached far and wide and knew no bounds. One has wonder as all of this unfolds what effect this is having on a jury of twelve. Are they outraged and alarmed by the nature and scope of the threats? Or is this now turning into overkill? The prosecution is taking a big risk here. In the end, the payoff could be big - or disaterous for those seeking a guilty verdict. It will be interesting, however.
Just who is the defense going to put on the stand? Will Bill White, himself, grace the court with his testimony? Perhaps there will be those among his following who will be called.
Today Canadian Civil Rights attorney, Richard Warman took the stand in the trial of Bill White. Throughout his testimony he used strong words to convey to the jury what the threats that Bill White made towards he and his family meant and that he believed that his life was endangered.
“This is publishing a call for my murder, and by extension the murder of my family, to the world,” he told the jury in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
After the home of a civil rights activist was fire-bombed, White made the call in a chatroom for someone to do it to Warman. White went on later to publish an article entitled "Kill Richard Warman," and to publish his home address and phone number.
Warman said he was terrified. “Any time somebody is calling for your home to be firebombed … there’s a good chance that people are going to die,” Warman told the jury.
This testimony is coming from a pretty tough guy who on cross-examination admitted that he "enjoyed mixing it up with white supremacists." Apparently, the defense believes that the fact that Mr. Warman likes his work, and likes the way that the laws work in Canada, somehow diminishes the vile and visious nature of the threats made against him.