Canadian Human Rights Gadfly Richard Warman And Canadian Jewish Congress Complain About Acquittal Of Bill White On The Warman Charge

Richard Warman and his perfectly egg-shaped head

It's not enough to some of these people that Bill White's conviction on three of seven charges has been reaffirmed by Judge James Turk and that White still faces a possible maximum sentence of 30 years when he faces the judge again on April 14th. Now, both Richard Warman and the Canadian Jewish Congress are complaining about the fact that Judge Turk reversed the guilty finding against White in the Warman case.

In his 32-page ruling, Judge Turk wrote, "Certainly, calling for Richard Warman to be 'dragged out into the street and shot, after appropriate trial by a revolutionary tribunal of Canada's white activists' or expressing hope that someone firebombs his house is offensive and disturbing, and perhaps frightening to Richard Warman." But he also said White's actions were protected free speech and could not be considered threats because he had not indicated he intended to commit violence against Warman.

According to the National Post, in an e-mail response, Warman wrote, "I testified at the trial that I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that when someone publishes 'Kill Richard Warman' and then gives my home address that they mean it as a true threat...I think it's uncivilized to permit people to issue death threats and counsel murder and firebombing while publishing the desired victim's home address. The First Amendment was passed in 1791 and I doubt that's what the U.S. Founding Fathers had in mind."

Warman's scores of human rights complaints and lawsuits over Internet postings, many of them by white nationalists and paleoconservative bloggers, have resulted in hefty fines and speech bans against his targets. He pursues these cases under the guise of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Understandably he has become of target for people who cherish free speech and believe the best way to assure their own free speech is to defend the free speech of others. More information on Warman's sordid record can be found HERE.

But Warman wasn't the only one to complain. A representative of the Canadian Jewish Congress also chimed in. "It's breathtaking in its conclusion," Canadian Jewish Congress CEO Bernie Farber, who also testified against White, said of the ruling. "And I really do hope the government will address this in an appeal because it can't be allowed to stand." The Canadian Jewish Congress was instrumental in getting the Canadian Human Rights Act passed in the first place; they do not believe that free speech is absolute.

Judge James Turk Dismisses Guilty Verdict Against Bill White In The Richard Warman Case, Upholds Remaining Three Verdicts; Sentencing On April 14th

In response to a motion to acquit submitted by Bill White's attorneys on December 18th, 2009, the day he was convicted by a Roanoke jury on four of seven counts, Judge James Turk ruled on February 5th, 2010 to uphold the guilty verdicts in the cases of the two black tenants, the Citibank employee, and the University of Delaware professor, but dismissed the guilty verdict in the case of Canadian professional anti-racist Richard Warman. Full story published in the Roanoke Times. New Stormfront thread HERE, ongoing VNN Forum thread HERE.

You can read Judge Turk's 32-page ruling HERE.

The outcome of each case has rested on a factual and legal analysis of what White said, and whether his actions crossed the line between protected speech and illegal threats. Judge Turk noted that, unlike the other cases in which White had direct contact with his victims by e-mail or telephone, White's comments about Warman were mostly restricted to online postings. As such, White's words amounted to advocacy of violence, which the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled is protected free speech -- unless it is intended to produce imminent lawless action.

Judge Turk also noted that other actions by White, including the posting of Warman's home address and telephone number on his now-defunct Overthrow website, were not enough to sustain a charge of making a threat. Judge Turk wrote, "Though the tone of White's postings could not be characterized as light-hearted jests, they are easily susceptible to characterization as mean-spirited ridicule and harassment, reminiscent of grade school bullying -- particularly White's comment that he disseminates Warman's address 'because it makes him so mad,' "

White is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14th. Although he faces up to 30 years in prison on the remaining charges, sentencing guidelines are likely to call for a lesser term. My prediction: Three years in prison (with credit for time already served), a fine, and a mandate to seek psychological counseling.

One common denominator not brought out in the report. In two of the cases where White was acquitted, both in the Richard Warman and Leonard Pitts cases, the common denominator is that both are public personas, whereas the other cases involved people who were not public personas. A public persona is someone who regularly engages in public discourse. Thus, it is possible that since Warman and Pitts are public personas, they should expect to "take more abuse" than private personas.

A VNN Forum poster thinks this trial had some interesting and disturbing implications. What was puzzling about the Warman charge is that a foreigner on foreign soil could have any status as a plaintiff. Whether he received a threat or not, does he have any rights or even exist under U.S. law? If so, then theoretically, the Islamic Republic of Iran could start dragging some biased newscasters or pundits through U.S. courts anytime now. Iraqi Baathists could charge the New York Times with 15 years of inflammatory defamation culminating in mass-murder. Israel could attempt to sue white activists in U.S. court for "incitement" of Palestinians. In the realm of international incitements to violence, Richard Warman vs. Bill White could be anecdotal, but set a dangerous precedent.

The FreeBillWhite website which was a clearinghouse of information on the case has been abandoned and parked. The webmaster, Daniel Jones, has been ordered as a condition of release in his own case not to access the Internet, so he was unable to continue maintaining it. Those who want to help Bill White out financially can send money to this address:

Meghan White
PO Box 8631
Roanoke, VA 24014

Farmington, New Mexico Community Relations Commission Rejects Proposal To Officially Celebrate A "White History Month"

From this Stormfront thread we learn that the city of Farmington Community Relations Commission unanimously voted at its meeting on Monday February 1st, 2010 not to participate in any event celebrating any proposed "white history month". The decision comes after Farmington resident Zang Wood, who is White, said he felt the Commission was discriminating against him by celebrating Black, Hispanic and American Indian cultural periods, while not recognizing contributions of Whites. Media stories published by the Farmington Daily Times and KOB Channel 4; news video embedded below:



When the proposal was first presented in January, one commission member, Catalina Liles, was sympathetic. She told Wood that she would organize a white history event at the Commission's January meeting. But at Monday's meeting, Liles asked the Commission to drop the event after criticism from fellow members and people who attended the meeting. "I said, Ok, I can make white history month happen", Liles said. "So I'm sorry and I would like to apologize to all of you."


Leading the charge against it was a white commission member, Randy Joslin (pictured at left), who said that no one else has complained of a lack of white history celebrations, and that the Commission shouldn't make its decisions based on a complaint from only one person. "I'm not aware of any large outcry from the Anglo community that they are being discriminated against," Joslin said. "The whole concept of the white history thing is kind of repulsive to me." Joslin is also a pastor at a local church called The Oasis. [Ed. Note: Note that Joslin used the phrase "Anglo community", even though not all Whites are of British or Anglo-Saxon descent.]

Ken Ellison and Diane McCants-Allen also spoke out against white history month, although Ellison put forth a compromise proposal suggesting that commissioners organize a celebration of several cultures instead of recognizing each group individually. But the Commission has no qualms about recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and African-American History Month.

A Topix forum thread (no registration required to post) accompanying this story has already attracted 109 comments as of this post. Farmington, a city of 42,637, is 62.8 percent White, 18.4 percent American Indian, 17.7 percent Hispanic, and only 0.8 percent Black.

Stormfront has proclaimed March 21st of each year as "White Pride Day".