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Death Penalty "Unlikely" in Hit and Run Killing of Black Mississippi Man

The white Mississippi teenager charged with deliberately running down a Black man has been indicted for capital murder and a hate crime ... but is "unlikely" to face the death penalty because the victim's family opposes the death penalty.

Forty-eight-year-old James Craig Anderson had a long-term male partner of almost two decades and they were raising a daughter. Anderson was killed on June 26 in a motel parking lot in Jackson.

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith confirmed the decision to ABC News.

Smith [plans] to make a formal announcement in the next two days, after strongly considering the family's wishes to spare Daryl Dedmon, 19. "Nearly all of the time we would like for the families to be pleased with the outcome of their loved ones' cases," he said. "We try to give that family peace of mind."

In the letter sent to Smith, dated Sept. 13, Anderson's sister Barbara Anderson Young said she spoke on behalf of their mother, and her two brothers, in asking prosecutors not to seek capital punishment, saying the family's opposition to the death penalty is "deeply rooted in our religious faith, a faith that was central in James' life as well."

"We also oppose the death penalty because it historically has been used in Mississippi and the South primarily against people of color for killing whites," the letter says. "Executing James' killers will not help balance the scales. But sparing them may help to spark a dialogue that one day will lead to the elimination of capital punishment."

Surveillance video shows two carloads of teenagers driving into the parking lot. Several approached Anderson, who was beaten and robbed. The video shows Anderson being struck by a truck. Witnesses report one teenager yelled "white power" and the driver of the pickup shouted the n-word.

Two men have been charged. Nineteen-year-old Daryl Dedmon, who was driving the pickup, faces capital murder and hate crime charges and is being held without bond. Police initially charged another teenager, John Aaron Rice, with murder. That charge has been reduced to simple assault.

Earlier this month, Anderson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the seven white teenagers that police say were involved in the gruesome crime. Anderson's long-term partner is prevented by Mississippi law and the Defense of Marriage Act from joining the legal action. Anderson's partner is also prevented by Mississippi law from making end of life decisions. Forced to remain on the sidelines while Anderson's family makes all the decisions ... and collects what is likely to be a substantial settlement.

The prosecutor's descision is probably for the best. It doesn't seem very likely that a Mississippi jury would condemn a white teen to death for killing a Black gay man.

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Bachmann: Anti-Gay Bullying is "Not a Federal Issue"

PHOTO: Getty

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann dismissed a constituent's question about the rash of anti-gay school bullying in her Minnesota district: It's a matter of state's rights, the candidate said at a weekend campaign rally in California, reports CBS News.

Alex Limon says he came to a Michele Bachmann rally here for one reason: To ask the Republican presidential candidate what she intends to do about school bullying in her district that reportedly targets gays. He got to ask his question, but he didn't get a lengthy answer. "That's not a federal issue," Bachmann said, before moving on to the shake the hand of the next person waiting to speak to her.

The federal government and a growing number of civil rights and education advocates say otherwise, reports the Washington Blade.

Over the past two years, nine youths have committed suicide in the Anoka-Hennepin school district, the largest in Minnesota. At least four suicide victims were victims of bullying because they were gay or perceived to be gay.

In July, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit against the district on behalf of students who say they experienced harassment and violence as a result of an anti-gay environment. The Education and Justice departments are also investigating the district over the issue. ...

Additionally, the White House held a bullying summit in March. Next week, the Education Department is hosting its second annual bullying prevention summit at the Washington Hilton Hotel in D.C.

Bachmann's dismissive remarks came only one day after the mother of a gay teen who committed suicide in her district met with campaign staffers to urge the lawmaker to speak out against bullying, reported The Advocate. The campaign says Bachmann will "review" the issue. Priorities, priorities

Family of Slain Black Mississippi Man Opposes Death Penalty in Case

More developments in the horrific case of James Craig Anderson, the Black Mississippi man killed in an alleged racially motivated beating and hit-and-run murder. The 48-year-old auto plant worker had a long-term male partner of almost two decades and they were raising a daughter.

Anderson's family has asked Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith not to seek the death penalty in the case, reports CNN.

"We ask that you not seek the death penalty for anyone involved in James' murder," the letter states; the letter is signed by Barbara Anderson Young, James Craig Anderson's sister who is in charge of, and speaks for, his estate.

The letter states that the family is opposed to the death penalty partly for religious convictions. "Our opposition to the death penalty is deeply rooted in our religious faith, a faith that was central in James' life as well," the letter states. But the family goes on to explain that there is another reason for their opposition, one that is tied to Mississippi's racial past.

"We also oppose the death penalty because it historically has been used in Mississippi and the South primarily against people of color for killing whites," the letter states. "Executing James' killers will not help to balance the scales. But sparing them may help to spark a dialogue that one day will lead to the elimination of capital punishment."

The 48-year-old  auto plant worker died on the morning of June 26 in a motel parking lot. Surveillance video shows two carloads of teenagers driving into the parking lot. Several approached Anderson, who was beaten and robbed. The video shows Anderson being struck by a truck. Witnesses report one teenager yelled "white power" and the driver of the pickup shouted the n-word.

Two men have been charged. Nineteen-year-old Daryl Dedmon, who was driving the pickup, faces capital murder charges and is being held without bond. Another young man is charged with assault and was released on bond. Prosecutors plan "to seek indictments against both for murder and a hate crime, and will seek indictments against [five] other teens who were at the scene," reports CNN.

Last week, Anderson's family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the seven white teenagers that police say were involved in the gruesome crime. Anderson's long-term partner is prevented by Mississippi law and the Defense of Marriage Act from joining the legal action. Forced to remain on the sidelines while Anderson's family makes all the decisions ... and collects what is likely to be a substantial settlement.

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New Developments in Killing of Black Miss. Man
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UPDATE: Slain Mississippi Man's Male Partner CANNOT Join Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against White Teens

More developments in the horrific case of James Craig Anderson, the Black Mississippi man killed in an alleged racially motivated hit-and-run murder.

Anderson's family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on Tuesday against the group of white teenagers that police say is responsible. Anderson had a long-term male partner of almost two decades and they were raising a daughter. Anderson's long-term partner cannot join the legal action, reports the New York Times.

The lawsuit, filed in Hinds County Circuit Court in Jackson, depicts the death of James C. Anderson as a racially motivated attack and outlines an evening of drinking that culminated with a caravan of teenagers from a largely white suburban county driving 16 miles to Jackson intent on harassing African-Americans.

"We want to send a message to people who want to use race as a reason to target someone," said Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center, who joined Winston Thompson III, the family’s lawyer, in filing the suit. "It appears this group went out to target a black person."

The suit did not specify an amount for damages, but it included accusations of negligence as a way to tap into the homeowner’s insurance policies of some of the families of the young people involved, Mr. Dees said.

The lawsuit makes public for the first time the names of all seven people who had piled into the two vehicles that night, charging that while some were directly responsible for assaulting and killing Mr. Anderson, others were negligent because they acted as lookouts and did not try to help Mr. Anderson.

James Bradfield, Mr. Anderson’s partner of 17 years, is not a plaintiff. Under Mississippi law, same-sex partners have no claim in civil actions like this, Mr. Dees said. There was no indication that Mr. Anderson’s sexual orientation was a factor in the crime.

The 48-year-old  auto plant worker died on the morning of June 26 in a motel parking lot. Surveillance video shows two carloads of teenagers driving into the parking lot. Several approached Anderson, who was beaten and robbed. The video shows Anderson being struck by a truck. Witnesses report one teenager yelled "white power" and the driver of the pickup shouted the n-word.

Two of the seven defendants in the suit have been charged. Nineteen-year-old Daryl Dedmon, who was driving the pickup, faces capital murder charges and is being held without bond. The driver of the second car was charged with assault and has been released on bond. Prosecutors say they will try to charge the other teens before a grand jury later this month. The FBI is also involved in the case.

The slain man's partner of almost two decades is forced to sit on the sidelines—courtesy of the Defense of Marriage Act and the lack of statewide protections for LGBTs and same-sex couples in Mississippi. Yet another example of Mississippi justice.

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New Developments in Killing of Black Miss. Man

DADT and ENDA Updates: Defense Vote, Pelosi Conference Call, WaPo

A few updates on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a conference call with LGBT leaders and press on Monday and said she has "no intention of losing on either" DADT or ENDA, reports The Advocate.

On Friday, the Obama Administration transmitted its 2011 Defense Authorization Act Request. The transmittal does not include the DADT repeal language." But a repeal vote is likely to be considered next week, the Speaker says, and repeal language could be proposed on the House floor as an amendment to the DAR.

A vote on ENDA—stalled since September—could come the second week of June. "Pelosi also said she thought ENDA would have a much better likelihood of passing if DADT repeal were successfully ushered through first."

There is also the possibility of an offensive "motion to recommit" from Republicans—a last ditch procedural move. Rumors for the past two weeks suggest the GOP will propose an ugly procedural move targeting transgenders.

"Some Hill observers think the motion to recommit could go beyond a simple effort to strip out gender identity protections to being something more hostile, more depraved in the way it targets certain segments of the transgender community. At the same time, advocates decline to guess at the language publicly for fear that it might actually be adopted by the right and used against them. But there is no way to know if a motion to recommit will be offered or what the nature of such a motion would be until the legislation comes to a vote."

In related news: The Washington Post published a curious article last week on ENDA. The piece focused on Republican and Blue Dog opposition to transgender rights. No LGBT activists were quoted but anti-gay North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler ("D") was quoted. WaPo also quoted  the far-right wing Traditional Values Coalition, labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Too bad WaPo editor Jonathan Capehart is too busy criticizing gay activists on ENDA and DADT. Maybe he could have caught that.

Gay Sex Angle Alleged in Murder of Mississippi White Supremacist

Authorities in Mississippi say the black man accused in the grisly murder of a prominent white supremacist confessed to attacking the man after he made sexual advances on him.  Vincent McGee was arraigned Tuesday on upgraded charges of capital murder in the death of 67-year-old Richard Barrett, reports the AP. Barrett was found beaten, stabbed 16 times and burned inside his home on April 22.

Investigators testified that McGee gave them inconsistent statements about why he went to Barrett's house that day. McGee's mother told authorities that Barrett, who used to travel the country promoting his segregationist views, was acquainted with the family and had stopped by their home for about an hour to socialize the night of his death. In one statement, McGee said he went over to Barrett's house to use his computer so he could check his Facebook page and Barrett made sexual advances on him, Rankin County Undersheriff Bryan Bailey testified. In another statement, McGee told investigators he went to the house to confront Barrett about some money owed him for yard work and that "Barrett dropped his pants and asked him to perform a sexual act." It was then, Bailey said, that McGee told investigators that he hit and stabbed Barrett.

The allegations that the far right white supremacist was closeted and/or sexually attracted to black men should "not be" very surprising, the Southern Poverty Law Center's Mark Potok told Randi Kaye with CNN's AC360.

"[Polok] says being gay is one of the greatest hypocrisy among white supremacists. 'It is unbelievably common in the white supremacist world to find people who are desperately anti-gay but secretly gay….We’ve seen a good number of white supremacist leaders who have actually been tossed out of the movement when it was found that they were in fact engaged in gay relationships with men,'  Potok said."

Barrett's body was released this week.  There will be no funeral.

You may recall that Eugène Terre’Blanche, the notorious South African white supremacist,. was hacked to death at his remote farm on April 3. The two black workers accused said Terre'Blanche—who has been implicated with other young men—made advances.

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