Former pastor gets probation in 2005 church fire
Prosecutors drop charges against pastor's wife
Former pastor Harold E. Hunter
Former pastor Harold E. Hunter pleaded guilty Thursday morning to a lesser charge in connection with a suspected arson fire at the Bethel AME church, and his five-year prison sentence was suspended to two years' probation.
Hunter and his wife, Patricia, were arrested following a series of unexplained fires and vandalism attacks at the church in 2005. A previous trial in October 2006 ended in a hung jury.
The charge of malicious injury to real property valued between $1,000 and $5,000 carries a maximum five year prison sentence. Judge James Williams sentenced Hunter after the former pastor entered the plea as an Alford plea. In such cases, the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes enough evidence exists that he could be found guilty at trial. For all practical purposes, an Alford plea is treated as a guilty plea in South Carolina criminal courts.
Prosecutors dropped charges against Patricia Hunter.
The former pastor declined to comment afterward.
Prosecutors said they recognize that arson cases are often hard to prove due to lack of witnesses.
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Comments
This article has 4 comment(s)
Posted by commonsence on December 11, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I sure hope more information comes out about this arrangement - burn a church down and get two years probation? Who's zooming who here?
Posted by 1963 on December 11, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You have got to be kidding! Burn down a church and get to walk.
Posted by SimplyMad on December 11, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The obvious reason for probation is right in front of your eyes. If a white man had done this, it would be a violation of federal civil rights laws & a hate crime.
I know, now I will be labeled a racist, but the truth is that simple.
Posted by eyfigueroa on December 11, 2008 at 5:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
simplymad, your moniker is quite appropro.
your comment is just as foolish as one I would read from spankernuts or moonpie.
this man burned down a predominantly Black Church. A White Pastor more than likely would have burned down a predominantly White church.
If either pastor deliberately burned down a church whose congregants are primarily of a different race or ethnicity then perhaps one could make the argument of 'hate' crime.
If a White Man burned down his own church for some sort of gain and didn't do jail time, it would be just as heinous as this man doing what he did and only getting probation.
I feel sorry for you SimplyMad. I feel a great deal of pity for anyone who simply wants or needs to create racial discord for the sake of doing so.
Perhaps it is you that needs to attend church, ANY church in order to purge your soul of such sad and pitiful desire to race bait.