Iowa: Man Sentenced to 16-Years in Prison for Stealing, Burning LGBT Flag

[Denizen]

An Iowa man who was arrested after tearing down and burning an LGBTQ flag that was hanging at a church will spend at least 15 years behind bars, according to reports.
Iowa Man Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Burning LGBTQ Flag

For the ass hats who think they are a protected class you idiots are so stupid you have no idea how severely you dumb m.f.;s are being politically used -------- there's a carpet about to be ripped right out from under your stuck up asses. Oh it won't be today maybe not even tomorrow but you can nbet your pathetic asses the LIGHT always Wins over the DARK bitches!!!


THIS IS HOW RETARDED YOU LOSERS WHO ARE ( ANTI AMERICAN PRICKS) IF YOU THINK FORCING LAWS MAKES PPL LIKE YOU OR " NOT " HATE YOU , IT'S SAD TO SAY YOU DO NOT LIVE IN REALITY AND SHOULD WAKE THE HELL UP)


ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT TRANSEXUALS

Actually he is about to receive an all-expenses-paid 16 year course in homosexuality.

More fascist should be offered this benefit.

You are right that there are a lot of gay guys in Prison, and many of them are seeking to convert people to their preferences. This gentleman may well have to fight for his manhood.

He may have offended to qualify for the free 16 year homosexuality education. Otherwise, it might have cost him a lot of money in gay bars.

 

[White 6]

An Iowa man who was arrested after tearing down and burning an LGBTQ flag that was hanging at a church will spend at least 15 years behind bars, according to reports.
Iowa Man Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Burning LGBTQ Flag



For the ass hats who think they are a protected class you idiots are so stupid you have no idea how severely you dumb m.f.;s are being politically used -------- there's a carpet about to be ripped right out from under your stuck up asses. Oh it won't be today maybe not even tomorrow but you can nbet your pathetic asses the LIGHT always Wins over the DARK bitches!!!


THIS IS HOW RETARDED YOU LOSERS WHO ARE ( ANTI AMERICAN PRICKS) IF YOU THINK FORCING LAWS MAKES PPL LIKE YOU OR " NOT " HATE YOU , IT'S SAD TO SAY YOU DO NOT LIVE IN REALITY AND SHOULD WAKE THE HELL UP)


ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT TRANSEXUALS

Actually he is about to receive an all-expenses-paid 16 year course in homosexuality.

More fascist should be offered this benefit.

Seriously, (as much as I hate to) This inflammatory headlined thread is just click-bait to rattle the up tight right. I don't know what accelerate/explosive he put in the tire and on the rag/flag he lit after he stole it. Forget about possible political statement of a flag burning. That is not what got him sent to jail. It is simply loading up the charges for sentencing purpose to take a repeated dangerous offender out of THEIR community. I read about this from local sources and what was picked up on major wire services, looked into the town of Ames, Iowa and I applaud their district attorney, the jury (of his peers from that peaceful community) and the judge for keeping the violent assholes off the streets, so they do not have to become a Stand-Your-Ground state, as mine was force to become. I fervently wish my state had the crime rate of that state. My town does not compare favorably to their town. I wish them luck maintaining a generally peaceful community enforcing whatever statutes are on the books to keep it the kind of place most of us would like to live in.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

No you don't, since the primary method execution is lethal injection in all states where capital punishment is legal.

If they do not enter your property, your castle doctrine would not apply, so stop being a moron.

Check the facts. We lit one up this year.

What state?

Tennessee execution: Stephen Michael West dies by electric chair
Check it out.

I already did, and that was his choice.

Oh! So now you are Pro-Choice.

Very funny!

Not!

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

Seriously, (as much as I hate to) This inflammatory headlined thread is just click-bait to rattle the up tight right. I don't know what accelerate/explosive he put in the tire and on the rag/flag he lit after he stole it. Forget about possible political statement of a flag burning. That is not what got him sent to jail. It is simply loading up the charges for sentencing purpose to take a repeated dangerous offender out of THEIR community. I read about this from local sources and what was picked up on major wire services, looked into the town of Ames, Iowa and I applaud their district attorney, the jury (of his peers from that peaceful community) and the judge for keeping the violent assholes off the streets, so they do not have to become a Stand-Your-Ground state, as mine was force to become. I fervently wish my state had the crime rate of that state. My town does not compare favorably to their town. I wish them luck maintaining a generally peaceful community enforcing whatever statutes are on the books to keep it the kind of place most of us would like to live in.

Let us know when you find out exactly why this man got a sixteen year sentence presumably for burning a gay flag.
In the meantime most of us will consider this sentence to be draconian, overly heavy handed and politically motivated.

 

[pknopp]

Seriously, (as much as I hate to) This inflammatory headlined thread is just click-bait to rattle the up tight right. I don't know what accelerate/explosive he put in the tire and on the rag/flag he lit after he stole it. Forget about possible political statement of a flag burning. That is not what got him sent to jail. It is simply loading up the charges for sentencing purpose to take a repeated dangerous offender out of THEIR community. I read about this from local sources and what was picked up on major wire services, looked into the town of Ames, Iowa and I applaud their district attorney, the jury (of his peers from that peaceful community) and the judge for keeping the violent assholes off the streets, so they do not have to become a Stand-Your-Ground state, as mine was force to become. I fervently wish my state had the crime rate of that state. My town does not compare favorably to their town. I wish them luck maintaining a generally peaceful community enforcing whatever statutes are on the books to keep it the kind of place most of us would like to live in.

Let us know when you find out exactly why this man got a sixteen year sentence presumably for burning a gay flag.
In the meantime most of us will consider this sentence to be draconian, overly heavy handed and politically motivated.

If you want someone to take your concerns seriously you first have to be honest.

 

[RodISHI]

I'd like to see this statement confirmed by some one rather than just the prosecutors word for it. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds told KCCI that Martinez “stated that there was nothing the judge could do to stop him from continuing this behavior, and that he would continue to do this, no matter what.”

What behavior? Genuine crime, such as stealing and destroying other people's property, or the thoughtcrime of expressing that he hates homosexuals?

You'd have to ask the judge that. It all sounds pretty bizarre to me. Not surprising but bizarre. I wonder also what he had in the way of an attorney.

 

[RodISHI]

It was arson, elevated to a hate crime and further elevated as he was a habitual offender with two previous felonies and no sign of remorse.
He got the maximum penalty.

This is a good summary

Crime and Charges

Ames, Iowa, police arrested Martinez in the early hours of June 11, after police said he had caused a disturbance at a local bar and threatened to burn down the establishment, before returning with an LGBT rainbow flag he stole from the Ames United Church of Christ, and setting fire to it outside the bar. Martinez admitted to his crimes in an interview with KCCI, saying he was motivated by an antipathy towards homosexuality and that he had “burned down their pride, plain and simple.”

Despite his on-screen confession, Martinez pleaded not guilty to three charges, the Story County Attorney’s Office told Snopes: Third-degree arson, an aggravated misdemeanor which typically carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison; third-degree harassment, a simple misdemeanor; and reckless use of fire or explosives, a serious misdemeanor that typically carries a maximum prison sentence of one year.

On Nov. 6, a jury in Story County convicted Martinez on all three charges. The County Attorney’s Office confirmed to Snopes that Martinez was given a 30-day prison sentence for the charge of third-degree harassment, and a one-year sentence for reckless use of fire or explosives.

In the normal course of events, a conviction for third-degree arson would yield a maximum sentence of two years in prison. However, because the flag burned by Martinez was an LGBT symbol, and because Martinez himself said this was his motivation for setting fire to it, prosecutors added a hate crime enhancement to the arson charge.

Iowa law requires that certain offenses, if prosecuted as a hate crime, must be “classified and punished as an offense one degree higher than the underlying offense.” Thus, Martinez’s conviction for third-degree arson was elevated from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony.

In Iowa, a Class D felony is typically subject to a maximum prison sentence of five years. However, Martinez had two previous felonies, details of which were not immediately available. Iowa law designates as an “habitual offender” anyone “convicted of a class ‘C’ or a class ‘D’ felony, who has twice before been convicted of any felony in a court of this or any other state, or of the United States.” Therefore, Martinez was sentenced as an habitual offender.

Iowa law states that the maximum sentence for an habitual offender is 15 years in prison. In this case, prosecutors recommended that maximum sentence, on the basis that they believed Martinez to be “very dangerous” and because of his lack of remorse. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds told KCCI that Martinez “stated that there was nothing the judge could do to stop him from continuing this behavior, and that he would continue to do this, no matter what.”

On Dec. 18, the judge imposed that maximum sentence, to be served consecutively with the one-year sentence for reckless use of fire and 30-day sentence for third-degree harassment, yielding a total prison sentence of 16 years. Due to his status as an habitual offender, Martinez will not be eligible for parole until he has served a minimum of three years.

Conclusion
It’s true that the action that garnered Martinez a total prison sentence of 16 years was setting fire to an LGBT flag outside a bar in Ames, Iowa, in June 2019. However, this does not account for the length of his prison sentence.

If the object Martinez burned had been a neutral one (for example, a banner or flag bearing the logo of a brand of beer) then his third-degree arson conviction would not have been enhanced as a hate crime, and he would have received a sentence of no more than two years in prison, likely yielding a total sentence of three years, taking into account the one-year sentence he received for reckless use of fire. So it’s true that the fact it was an LGBT rainbow flag, specifically, did cause Martinez’ punishment to be increased. Because the hate crime enhancement converted the arson offense from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony, it also triggered the habitual offender mechanism.

However, that habitual offender mechanism would not have been triggered if Martinez did not already have two felony convictions. Without that criminal history, Martinez would simply have been given a sentence commensurate with a Class D felony, after the addition of the hate crime enhancement. Instead, because of his own previous convictions, his sentence for third-degree arson was tripled, from five years to 15 years.

The websites mentioned at the beginning of this article served their readers poorly by failing to provide this crucial contextual information and created the false impression that anyone, in any circumstances, was liable to be imprisoned for 16 years for burning an LGBT rainbow flag in the state of Iowa.

Did an Iowa Man Get 16 Years in Prison for Burning an LGBT Rainbow Flag?

I'd like to see this statement confirmed by some one rather than just the prosecutors word for it. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds told KCCI that Martinez “stated that there was nothing the judge could do to stop him from continuing this behavior, and that he would continue to do this, no matter what.”

It was good enough for a jury of his peers.

Are you saying the jury determine his sentence and not the judge?

 

[RodISHI]

An Iowa man who was arrested after tearing down and burning an LGBTQ flag that was hanging at a church will spend at least 15 years behind bars, according to reports.
Iowa Man Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Burning LGBTQ Flag



For the ass hats who think they are a protected class you idiots are so stupid you have no idea how severely you dumb m.f.;s are being politically used -------- there's a carpet about to be ripped right out from under your stuck up asses. Oh it won't be today maybe not even tomorrow but you can nbet your pathetic asses the LIGHT always Wins over the DARK bitches!!!


THIS IS HOW RETARDED YOU LOSERS WHO ARE ( ANTI AMERICAN PRICKS) IF YOU THINK FORCING LAWS MAKES PPL LIKE YOU OR " NOT " HATE YOU , IT'S SAD TO SAY YOU DO NOT LIVE IN REALITY AND SHOULD WAKE THE HELL UP)


ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT TRANSEXUALS

Actually he is about to receive an all-expenses-paid 16 year course in homosexuality.

More fascist should be offered this benefit.

Seriously, (as much as I hate to) This inflammatory headlined thread is just click-bait to rattle the up tight right. I don't know what accelerate/explosive he put in the tire and on the rag/flag he lit after he stole it. Forget about possible political statement of a flag burning. That is not what got him sent to jail. It is simply loading up the charges for sentencing purpose to take a repeated dangerous offender out of THEIR community. I read about this from local sources and what was picked up on major wire services, looked into the town of Ames, Iowa and I applaud their district attorney, the jury (of his peers from that peaceful community) and the judge for keeping the violent assholes off the streets, so they do not have to become a Stand-Your-Ground state, as mine was force to become. I fervently wish my state had the crime rate of that state. My town does not compare favorably to their town. I wish them luck maintaining a generally peaceful community enforcing whatever statutes are on the books to keep it the kind of place most of us would like to live in.

So you are not in Iowa and know nothing other than what you read online about it all. LOL I'll repeat what an Iowan says about Ames, "Its a shithole".

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

If you want someone to take your concerns seriously you first have to be honest.

If you want me to give a crap about what you post first you have to make an honest post yourself, if possible.
If my post was disingenuous you should be able to explain in what way it was.
Otherwise consider yourself just a common run of the mill troll getting a thrill out of your own idiocy.

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

So you are not in Iowa and know nothing other than what you read online about it all. LOL I'll repeat what an Iowan says about Ames, "Its a shithole".

Regardless of what you think of the crime the sentence seems inexplicably harsh for such an offense.

 

[RodISHI]

So you are not in Iowa and know nothing other than what you read online about it all. LOL I'll repeat what an Iowan says about Ames, "Its a shithole".

Regardless of what you think of the crime the sentence seems inexplicably harsh for such an offense.

I agree with you. These apologist on here trying to justify what is unjust should be treated in kind as they exhibit "thought crimes" which are "hate crimes" IMO. Hate crime legislation has been BS from the get go.

 

[RodISHI]

So you are not in Iowa and know nothing other than what you read online about it all. LOL I'll repeat what an Iowan says about Ames, "Its a shithole".

Regardless of what you think of the crime the sentence seems inexplicably harsh for such an offense.

Just added that lil bit of info from a long time Iowan for the idiot that believes it is fine and dandy to use any ole charge to lock up someone for an extended period of time because they think that person should be locked up for crimes they did not commit.

 

[pknopp]

If you want someone to take your concerns seriously you first have to be honest.

If you want me to give a crap about what you post first you have to make an honest post yourself, if possible.
If my post was disingenuous you should be able to explain in what way it was.
Otherwise consider yourself just a common run of the mill troll getting a thrill out of your own idiocy.

It's been explained to you many times.

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

I agree with you. These apologist on here trying to justify what is unjust should be treated in kind as they exhibit "thought crimes" which are "hate crimes" IMO. Hate crime legislation has been BS from the get go.

Shock: Iowa Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison For Burning LGBTQ flag
Iowa state sentencing guidelines were ignored and this man, who is admittedly a fool, was given a sentence three times greater than what is normally called for.

It is unconscionable.

 

[Eric Arthur Blair]

It's been explained to you many times.

No it hasn't you liar. Fuck off coward.

 

[MindWars]

An Iowa man who was arrested after tearing down and burning an LGBTQ flag that was hanging at a church will spend at least 15 years behind bars, according to reports.
Iowa Man Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Burning LGBTQ Flag



For the ass hats who think they are a protected class you idiots are so stupid you have no idea how severely you dumb m.f.;s are being politically used -------- there's a carpet about to be ripped right out from under your stuck up asses. Oh it won't be today maybe not even tomorrow but you can nbet your pathetic asses the LIGHT always Wins over the DARK bitches!!!


THIS IS HOW RETARDED YOU LOSERS WHO ARE ( ANTI AMERICAN PRICKS) IF YOU THINK FORCING LAWS MAKES PPL LIKE YOU OR " NOT " HATE YOU , IT'S SAD TO SAY YOU DO NOT LIVE IN REALITY AND SHOULD WAKE THE HELL UP)


ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT TRANSEXUALS

Actually he is about to receive an all-expenses-paid 16 year course in homosexuality.

More fascist should be offered this benefit.

Seriously, (as much as I hate to) This inflammatory headlined thread is just click-bait to rattle the up tight right. I don't know what accelerate/explosive he put in the tire and on the rag/flag he lit after he stole it. Forget about possible political statement of a flag burning. That is not what got him sent to jail. It is simply loading up the charges for sentencing purpose to take a repeated dangerous offender out of THEIR community. I read about this from local sources and what was picked up on major wire services, looked into the town of Ames, Iowa and I applaud their district attorney, the jury (of his peers from that peaceful community) and the judge for keeping the violent assholes off the streets, so they do not have to become a Stand-Your-Ground state, as mine was force to become. I fervently wish my state had the crime rate of that state. My town does not compare favorably to their town. I wish them luck maintaining a generally peaceful community enforcing whatever statutes are on the books to keep it the kind of place most of us would like to live in.

Local sources LMFAO you really are an idiot you think your " LOCAL" NBC MSN ABC" tells you the factual truth omfg... you must have missed it where all the news stations say the same shit at the same time. No really they are SCRIPTED as to what they can say dumb ass.

THEY ALSO CONTROL YOUR MEDIA NEWS SOURCES JACKASS

These 11 Companies Control Everything You Buy

These 11 Companies Control Everything You Buy


WHEN YOU ARE SHOWN THIS CHIT IT'S NOT FAKE THEY ARE SCRIPTED ANY FORMER NEWS ANCHOR CAN TELL DUMB ASSES THIS "FACT" !!!!!!

 

[Bob Blaylock]

From reading some other articles, it appears that the “hate crime” charge includes an arson charge, that, by itself, would carry a maximum sentence of two years. So, we're up to genuine crimes that amount to three years and a month, and then three more years for the thoughtcrime of committing his genuine crimes as an expression of a politically-incorrect opinion. So this gets us to about half of his sentence to be legitimate, and half of it being a blatant violation of his First Amendment rights.

 

[RodISHI]

From reading some other articles, it appears that the “hate crime” charge includes an arson charge, that, by itself, would carry a maximum sentence of two years. So, we're up to genuine crimes that amount to three years and a month, and then three more years for the thoughtcrime of committing his genuine crimes as an expression of a politically-incorrect opinion. So this gets us to about half of his sentence to be legitimate, and half of it being a blatant violation of his First Amendment rights.

Of all of the reporting though have you seen anyone with the perps side represented? I could only find what the prosecutor claimed he stated and one with what the judge thought he may be capable of doing in the future insinuating that he would be a future problem if not locked up.

 

[White 6]

An Iowa man who was arrested after tearing down and burning an LGBTQ flag that was hanging at a church will spend at least 15 years behind bars, according to reports.
Iowa Man Gets 15 Years in Prison Over Burning LGBTQ Flag



For the ass hats who think they are a protected class you idiots are so stupid you have no idea how severely you dumb m.f.;s are being politically used -------- there's a carpet about to be ripped right out from under your stuck up asses. Oh it won't be today maybe not even tomorrow but you can nbet your pathetic asses the LIGHT always Wins over the DARK bitches!!!


THIS IS HOW RETARDED YOU LOSERS WHO ARE ( ANTI AMERICAN PRICKS) IF YOU THINK FORCING LAWS MAKES PPL LIKE YOU OR " NOT " HATE YOU , IT'S SAD TO SAY YOU DO NOT LIVE IN REALITY AND SHOULD WAKE THE HELL UP)


ISLAM IS RIGHT ABOUT TRANSEXUALS

Actually he is about to receive an all-expenses-paid 16 year course in homosexuality.

More fascist should be offered this benefit.

Seriously, (as much as I hate to) This inflammatory headlined thread is just click-bait to rattle the up tight right. I don't know what accelerate/explosive he put in the tire and on the rag/flag he lit after he stole it. Forget about possible political statement of a flag burning. That is not what got him sent to jail. It is simply loading up the charges for sentencing purpose to take a repeated dangerous offender out of THEIR community. I read about this from local sources and what was picked up on major wire services, looked into the town of Ames, Iowa and I applaud their district attorney, the jury (of his peers from that peaceful community) and the judge for keeping the violent assholes off the streets, so they do not have to become a Stand-Your-Ground state, as mine was force to become. I fervently wish my state had the crime rate of that state. My town does not compare favorably to their town. I wish them luck maintaining a generally peaceful community enforcing whatever statutes are on the books to keep it the kind of place most of us would like to live in.

Local sources LMFAO you really are an idiot you think your " LOCAL" NBC MSN ABC" tells you the factual truth omfg... you must have missed it where all the news stations say the same shit at the same time. No really they are SCRIPTED as to what they can say dumb ass.

THEY ALSO CONTROL YOUR MEDIA NEWS SOURCES JACKASS

These 11 Companies Control Everything You Buy

These 11 Companies Control Everything You Buy


WHEN YOU ARE SHOWN THIS CHIT IT'S NOT FAKE THEY ARE SCRIPTED ANY FORMER NEWS ANCHOR CAN TELL DUMB ASSES THIS "FACT" !!!!!!

Idiot. I check papers and sites local to Ames, Iowa. The Tread title is click bate and always was.

 

[White 6]

It was arson, elevated to a hate crime and further elevated as he was a habitual offender with two previous felonies and no sign of remorse.
He got the maximum penalty.

This is a good summary

Crime and Charges

Ames, Iowa, police arrested Martinez in the early hours of June 11, after police said he had caused a disturbance at a local bar and threatened to burn down the establishment, before returning with an LGBT rainbow flag he stole from the Ames United Church of Christ, and setting fire to it outside the bar. Martinez admitted to his crimes in an interview with KCCI, saying he was motivated by an antipathy towards homosexuality and that he had “burned down their pride, plain and simple.”

Despite his on-screen confession, Martinez pleaded not guilty to three charges, the Story County Attorney’s Office told Snopes: Third-degree arson, an aggravated misdemeanor which typically carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison; third-degree harassment, a simple misdemeanor; and reckless use of fire or explosives, a serious misdemeanor that typically carries a maximum prison sentence of one year.

On Nov. 6, a jury in Story County convicted Martinez on all three charges. The County Attorney’s Office confirmed to Snopes that Martinez was given a 30-day prison sentence for the charge of third-degree harassment, and a one-year sentence for reckless use of fire or explosives.

In the normal course of events, a conviction for third-degree arson would yield a maximum sentence of two years in prison. However, because the flag burned by Martinez was an LGBT symbol, and because Martinez himself said this was his motivation for setting fire to it, prosecutors added a hate crime enhancement to the arson charge.

Iowa law requires that certain offenses, if prosecuted as a hate crime, must be “classified and punished as an offense one degree higher than the underlying offense.” Thus, Martinez’s conviction for third-degree arson was elevated from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony.

In Iowa, a Class D felony is typically subject to a maximum prison sentence of five years. However, Martinez had two previous felonies, details of which were not immediately available. Iowa law designates as an “habitual offender” anyone “convicted of a class ‘C’ or a class ‘D’ felony, who has twice before been convicted of any felony in a court of this or any other state, or of the United States.” Therefore, Martinez was sentenced as an habitual offender.

Iowa law states that the maximum sentence for an habitual offender is 15 years in prison. In this case, prosecutors recommended that maximum sentence, on the basis that they believed Martinez to be “very dangerous” and because of his lack of remorse. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds told KCCI that Martinez “stated that there was nothing the judge could do to stop him from continuing this behavior, and that he would continue to do this, no matter what.”

On Dec. 18, the judge imposed that maximum sentence, to be served consecutively with the one-year sentence for reckless use of fire and 30-day sentence for third-degree harassment, yielding a total prison sentence of 16 years. Due to his status as an habitual offender, Martinez will not be eligible for parole until he has served a minimum of three years.

Conclusion
It’s true that the action that garnered Martinez a total prison sentence of 16 years was setting fire to an LGBT flag outside a bar in Ames, Iowa, in June 2019. However, this does not account for the length of his prison sentence.

If the object Martinez burned had been a neutral one (for example, a banner or flag bearing the logo of a brand of beer) then his third-degree arson conviction would not have been enhanced as a hate crime, and he would have received a sentence of no more than two years in prison, likely yielding a total sentence of three years, taking into account the one-year sentence he received for reckless use of fire. So it’s true that the fact it was an LGBT rainbow flag, specifically, did cause Martinez’ punishment to be increased. Because the hate crime enhancement converted the arson offense from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony, it also triggered the habitual offender mechanism.

However, that habitual offender mechanism would not have been triggered if Martinez did not already have two felony convictions. Without that criminal history, Martinez would simply have been given a sentence commensurate with a Class D felony, after the addition of the hate crime enhancement. Instead, because of his own previous convictions, his sentence for third-degree arson was tripled, from five years to 15 years.

The websites mentioned at the beginning of this article served their readers poorly by failing to provide this crucial contextual information and created the false impression that anyone, in any circumstances, was liable to be imprisoned for 16 years for burning an LGBT rainbow flag in the state of Iowa.

Did an Iowa Man Get 16 Years in Prison for Burning an LGBT Rainbow Flag?

I'd like to see this statement confirmed by some one rather than just the prosecutors word for it. Story County Attorney Jessica Reynolds told KCCI that Martinez “stated that there was nothing the judge could do to stop him from continuing this behavior, and that he would continue to do this, no matter what.”

It was good enough for a jury of his peers.

Are you saying the jury determine his sentence and not the judge?

Jury found him guilty. Judge sentenced. That's how we do it in our country. How about yours?