Editor's Note: The Sentinel continues to host a fundraiser for the legal defense of Michael Cassidy amid his additional legal proceedings.
Iowa prosecutors dropped hate crime charges against Michael Cassidy, the conservative Christian veteran who tore down a Satanic altar erected in the Iowa Capitol, in exchange for his guilty plea to much less severe misdemeanor charges, his lawyers told The Sentinel.
Cassidy pushed over and decapitated a statue installed by the Satanic Temple of Iowa last year, as first reported by The Sentinel, before he surrendered himself to security officers. Polk County Democratic Attorney Kimberly Graham later filed hate crime enhancements against Cassidy, meaning he could have faced as many as five years in prison if convicted. He pleaded guilty on Friday to third-degree criminal mischief in exchange for the dismissal of the hate crime enhancements and the payment of a fine, but he will not receive a prison sentence.
Davis Younts, an attorney who represents Cassidy, said in remarks to The Sentinel that prosecutors “finally agreed to drop the hate crimes enhancement after months-long legal battles over every aspect of this case,” crediting the Americans who supported Cassidy and enabled him to hire multiple attorneys who successfully pressured the state to dismiss the charges.
“It is because of the people that came to his aid and an outstanding legal team that we were able to back the prosecutors into a corner and get this resolution,” Younts said. “Instead of a felony hate crime and jail time, Cassidy received deferred judgment for damage to property and the conviction will be expunged once the court process is complete. Forcing the prosecutors to drop the hate crime is a huge victory for Cassidy and for religious freedom.”
Graham has indirectly received some $300,000 in campaign contributions from an entity funded by George Soros, as previously reported by The Sentinel, making her one of several elected officials backed by the progressive billionaire who has faced criticism for pursuing politicized cases against conservatives while downplaying the prosecution of other criminal activity.
Younts added to The Sentinel that he expects potential legal challenges from the United States Navy, which currently employs Cassidy as a flight instructor, but that any excess contributions from a fundraiser for Cassidy hosted by The Sentinel will be used to defend other Christian veterans facing legal trouble through a nonprofit organization called Stand With Warriors.
