US EditionCouple Set to Go on Trial over Staged Cross Burning in Front of Campaign Sign for Black Candidate
- Two defendants, Ashley Blackcloud and Derrick Bernard, are set to go on trial Monday for staging a cross burning hoax on April 23, 2023, in Colorado Springs.
- The event followed Bernard's communications with then-candidate Yemi Mobolade and aimed to create sympathy by falsely portraying a racial intimidation attempt during the 2023 mayoral election.
- The accused individuals face charges related to sending threats and false information through online communication aimed at intimidating the first Black mayor of the city, who will appear in court as a victim and witness.
- Deanna West pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy for setting the fire and spreading false information, with prosecutors agreeing the goal was to interfere with Mobolade's opponent's campaign.
- The trial outcome could hinge on proving Bernard and Blackcloud intended to intimidate Mobolade, while their attorneys argue the actions were political theater and free speech not meant to harm anyone.
46 Articles
46 Articles
Couple set to go on trial over staged Colorado Springs cross burning in front of campaign sign for Black candidate
In the run-up to the 2023 mayoral election in Colorado Springs, a racial slur was scrawled across a Black candidate’s sign and a cross set on fire in front of it.
Was Denver once a hub for the Ku Klux Klan?
Yes. During a second wave of Ku Klux Klan activity nationwide, Denver briefly became a hub for the white supremacist organization in the 1920s before the group’s influence waned. The Klan gained support following post-World War I anxieties amid growing immigrant populations, targeting Catholics, Jews, immigrants and Black and Latino communities. Major Colorado cities at the time, including Pueblo, Cañon City and Grand Junction, had chapters. A…
Associated Press News
Couple set to go on trial over staged cross burning in front of campaign sign for Black candidate
A husband and wife are set to go on trial in federal court in Denver over what federal prosecutors have said was a stunt to help elect the first Black mayor of Colorado Springs.
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