Three arrested in cross-burning
By Noah Haglund , Adam Parker
A cross-burning at a rural intersection in Meggett last weekend might have been a crime of mischief rather than a targeted hate crime, Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon said.
Sheriff's deputies arrested two teenagers Friday, a few days after seizing two wooden crosses that had been set aflame along a road between Meggett and the Petersfield community. Another teenager surrendered to authorities Friday afternoon.
Cannon couldn't say what motivated the teens, who are white, though he said they didn't appear to be linked to any organized hate groups.
"They indicated that it was a bored, mischief type of thing," he said during a news conference. "We don't believe that this is part of anything greater than three young people involved in some mischief."
Arrested were Joseph Wayne Chaplin Jr., 18, and Robert Jarrett Chance Jones, 19, both of Ravenel. Nicholas George Jellyman, 17, of Meggett, turned himself in at 3:15 p.m. Bond for Chaplin and Jones was set at $50,000 each, and they remained at the Charleston County jail Friday night. Jellyman was released on $30,000 bail.
State law makes it a crime to put a real or simulated flaming cross in a public place or on another person's property, unless the property owner gives written permission. Cannon said the law dates to 1951. South Carolina does not have a hate-crimes statute. The penalty for cross-burning is a misdemeanor that carries a possible one-year prison sentence and $500 fine.
Chaplin
Jones
Jellyman
Previous story
Sheriff's office investigates cross-burning in rural area, published 09/10/08
The incident prompted quick condemnation from the Charleston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which called it a "shameful and cowardly act" and an example of "hateful racism."
"We call upon all people of good will to stand against racial hatred, not only in public settings, but also in private and comfortable places where we sometimes say not what's polite, but what's really in our hearts, for those private conversations can have sad public results," NAACP President Dot Scott said at a Friday news conference.
The burning cross was a symbol promoted by the Ku Klux Klan, andits meaning is unmistakable, said Mark Potok, director of the Southern
Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, a hate-crimes watchdog group.
The Klan historically burned crosses as a way of intimidating blacks and members of non-Protestant religious groups.
"The symbol of the burning cross has become absolutely universal in the United States," Potok said. "Everyone knows what it means. To simply dismiss these incidents as pranks is, I think, a grave mistake. It's a genuinely terrifying symbol for a large segment of the American population, and rightly so."
The crosses were made from treated two-by-fours. One stood about 6 1/2 feet tall, the other about 3 1/2 feet tall. The smell of kerosene was detectable shortly after their seizure by authorities.
"We considered this a very, very serious incident, from the standpoint of what this symbol means to people," Cannon said.
Detectives talked to numerous people in the area before identifying the teenagers who were charged. Initially, they looked into the possibility that the incident was related to people riding ATVs in the field where the crosses were placed.
Now that the cross-burnings appear unrelated to the ATVs, Cannon was hard-pressed to say why the teens chose the field, which is owned by a white man.
Sheriff's detectives have been in touch with the FBI. Cannon said the U.S. Attorney's Office was likely to review the case to see whether any federal laws were broken.
Federal law includes a hate crimes provision. "A hate crime is a criminal offense committed against a person or property motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender's bias against a racial group, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, or disability," according to the National Crime Victim Survey.
The FBI maintains a Hate Crime Statistics report. The latest data, from 2006, records 7,720 single-bias incidents, 51.8 percent of which were motivated by a racial bias.
When someone commits a hate crime, he typically will be charged with a standard crime such as vandalism or assault, Potok said. The purpose of hate crimes statutes is to enhance penalties.
"What hate crime laws allow you to do is to bring motivation into the sentencing phase," he said. And that often results in stiffer punishment.
Potok said that, while cross-burning episodes are not very common, he has noticed that law enforcement officials are treating such incidents far more seriously than they once did. "Longer and longer sentences are being handed to cross burners," he said.
Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com. Reach Adam Parker at 937-5902 or aparker@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
sgtpsycho (anonymous) says...
Ha.These guys look like your average miscreants. Having been a reporter once and having had a gun held to my head by the real Klan while apprehended spying on one of their rallies, I can assure our gentle readers that you would know if the actual Klan was behind this. These delinquents need to spend a couple of Sundays in Obama's old church to see how destructive racial hatred is and put them on the other side of the stick at the same time. Racism is bad, whether you hide behind a sheet or a pulpit. They also need to go clean up the mess they created and not be allowed to have any matches until they are about 30.
September 13, 2008 at 6 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Halcyon (anonymous) says...
Thomas1776, while I agree with you, please show me the law that says law enforcement officers are under oath to enforce every single law.
I'll save you the time looking, there's no such law.
September 13, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
suec (anonymous) says...
Be thankful the field did not belong to a black man or this would be on CNN Headline news.
September 13, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
10216340 (anonymous) says...
Their mommas must be so proud. Bunch of stupid idiots who deserve some jail time. No, community service is not enough. Don't care if they say this is just mischief......the message is clear and it's sickening.
September 13, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mrsmomofthree (anonymous) says...
IDIOTS
September 13, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Akhenaton06 (anonymous) says...
Although I wouldn't classify this as a hate crime since it didn't target anyone in particular, these young men should realize that this isn't a light matter. I agree with scnative4ever that paying a fine, a public apology, and doing about 100 hours of community service would be in order.
September 13, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MMitchum (anonymous) says...
Yes I agree they pay for their crime. My opinion only is to educate these kids on what they did really means in the South and is not tolerated here anymore. I'm sure they know what it means in their language but I don't think they know all the background they should know. Make it mandatory that they learn and put them before the judge to ask the questions on what they must know and always remember, and make them explain what they have learned. We will always have racism in our country but as most adults do...keep your mouth closed and keep it to yourself.
If violated any laws enforce them.
September 13, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jimmy1370 (anonymous) says...
"The incident prompted quick condemnation from the Charleston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which called it a "shameful and cowardly act" and an example of "hateful racism."
As opposed to love filled racism. Pure genius.
September 13, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasCarolinaGirl (anonymous) says...
Trailer trash punks! If it was meant as racism, it makes white people look bad.
Dot Scott ~ You are no better! Get a life. Teach your black men how to take care of their women, teach them to stop selling drugs, tell them to stop killing, and to be figures on which you should be proud of. Stop blaming others for their stupidity!
September 13, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sethook (anonymous) says...
Like father, Like son...
September 13, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TrYtruth41c (anonymous) says...
Why is it so hard for some Americans to call out racial hatred. Your world is falling down all around you and still you refuse to see that giving God's justice to oppressed peoples will literally save you.
Your Investment banks are collapsing, your oil rigs are being destroyed as we speak, your housing market is in shambles, crazies are crashing planes into your buildings, 70% of your country's wealth is owned by foreign nations. Even the Canadian dollar is kicking American butt. WAKE UP!!! Stop making excuses for injustice and begin to treat people with respect and dignity. God's hand is against your economic system.
As for the NAACP, call this what it is, IGNORANT TEENAGE PRANKSTERS. Stop crying wolf over every stupid thing that somebody does. These young people don't know any better. These are America's children and we have failed to teach them better. Mostly because many of us pimp the struggle for racial justice. These guys have no power to keep blacks from achieving success. All they did was give a reminder of the bogeymen of the past. And Pavlovian to a fault, here folks come crying racism.
September 13, 2008 at 10:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UrGatorbait (anonymous) says...
More SC natives at it again duh huh.
Uberpatriot Thomas, stay on track. They make medicines for it now.
You can call out racial hatred as long as you aren't calling out blacks it seems. It's okay for a black person to tell others about racial hatred but not for a white folk to make a comment on it or an observation or present some facts on the issue without being labeled a racist. The victim era is alive and well.
ChasCarolinaGirl, well said. To bad some call that racism. The NAACP is part of the problem.
September 13, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KnowAllSeeAll (anonymous) says...
Three morons, just like the ones in Mt. Pleasant that didn't think anything would come of their actions. Grow up, kids, find SOMETHING more constructive to do with your time.
September 13, 2008 at 10:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkris (anonymous) says...
RE: "call this what it is, IGNORANT TEENAGE PRANKSTERS"
WRONG! These are not teenagers! 19 year olds and blacks are fighting and dying in Afghanastan and Iraq! These are spoiled selfish adults who need to learn some empathy.
September 13, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
Interesting that those calling these boys racist are the same ones hurling out terms like redneck and backwoods trash.
I do believe that these guys need to take some sort of class of racial diversity and sensitivity or at least be made to do research on exactly what it means to burn a cross in a field in a rural area -- just how racist that can be.
The fact that these boys are ignorant of how offensive this is does not automatically make them racists, jut uneducated and immature and probably a bit self-involved.
September 13, 2008 at 11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stanish (anonymous) says...
It's amazing the likes of Thomas1776, Sgtpsycho, scnative4ever
and others are JUSTIFYING the behavior of these three RACIST Rednecks, while trashing Dot Scott and the NAACP as if they are the ones to BLAME for these three COWARD RACIST REDNECK ACTIONS! Seems to me they are CONDONING this DESPICABLE behavior because they SHARE the EXACT sentiments of these three.
September 13, 2008 at 11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Time4action (anonymous) says...
I'm not going to sit in judgement of these 3 boys. Don't know them or their families. Don't know what they were thinking. Unless further evidence is found, give them a fine and community service. What they did was wrong but not sure they understood the full impact of what they did. As far as the NAACP goes, I truly believe racism would go away if they did. Does anybody really care what color skin someone has? It's the attitude of the person (white or black) that is the turn off. And the NAACP promotes that attitude.
September 13, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
I don't. But I won't prematurely judge them either. I can't see where expressing outrage at their poor judgment and actions with more racially and socially charged epithets is any different -- except to be less severe -- than the crime.
Being white and from meggett makes no one anymore a redneck than being black and from liberty hill makes one a drug dealer or thug.
September 13, 2008 at 11:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Perspective (anonymous) says...
Halcyon - Just ignore his rants. He is anti-police and anti-government. For someone who is so quick to quote laws written to protect him, he hates the government and all that it tries to do. It is unfortunate to see someone who is apparently intelligent failing to factor human nature into his theories. Even the foundings fathers and the courts that have followed try to consider human nature and previous legal intents.
September 13, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
stephaniem (anonymous) says...
for those of you who don't think racism was involved, imagine someone spray painting a nazi symbol, a pentagram, or writing "bomb america" on a billboard and see the uproar.
Although thomass1776 makes some good points, things are no so different that I still hear the n word being used to describe small innocent black children...I am not talking about black thugs
I do think they should go through the law books and delete all old laws that aren't being enforced. You would be surprized at some of the ones they have.
as for the comment "hateful racism"-- in sociology class we learned there are 4 types of people
the open bigot- violent racist
the timid bigot- treats people right but secretly hates certain groups
the fair weather liberal -- obeys the in crowd
the liberal -- no prejudice
as for obama's church....please read comments pat robinson said about america deserving to be bombed due to gay tolerance and legalizing abortion
billy graham is the only preacher that I have ever heard off that isn't evil
September 13, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkris (anonymous) says...
This really annoys me. These criminals were ADULTS, not boys.Joseph Wayne Chaplin Jr., AGE: 18, and Robert Jarrett Chance Jones, AGE: 19, both of Ravenel. Nicholas George Jellyman, AGE: 17.There are adults thier age dying in Iraq and Afgahanstan! All of these ADULTS have High School Social Studies and took AMERICAN HISTORY. They knew the implications of buring crosses.
September 13, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
I would like Dot Scott a bunch better if she would address situations when blacks do bad things to whites or even other blacks. Did anybody hear her condemn the the killing of white Officer Compton by those two black thugs? That is hate.
September 13, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Yes if the crap the Rev Wright was preaching isn't hate then either is this. (VERY FREAKING STUPID I MIGHT ADD) We need to stop the double standards. This is one of the things that pisses me off to no end is that it can't possibly be racist unless whites commit or say what ever the act is...If blacks say or do it's looked the other way I/E Rev Wright! And if you cool-aide drinking liberals actually believe that Barack sat in his church for 20yrs and never heard this hatred speak then there is no hope for this country, Because stupidity reins! By the way Oriely let him off the hook with his answer the other night.
September 13, 2008 at 12:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CNN_10 (anonymous) says...
These three men are going to spend some time in prison probably 1 to 2 years. However, i see the ignorant comments that does not talk about the article itself. But, instead talk about Barack Obama, Dot Scott, and Wright in which these individuals had nothing to do with the cross burning. Once again people on here are so ignorant to see that the article is talking about three individuals who burned crosses.
September 13, 2008 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCdeacinNYC (anonymous) says...
The language in this article and from the police is ridiculous. Almost everyone in this country (and eeknows what burning a cross means, what it stands for. This wasn't a teenage prank, they knew it was hateful. Hate crime or not, they should be punished and this should be called what it is, a hateful act of racism. If someone painted a swastika on a synagogue no one would claim it was just a teenage prank, they would call it anti-semitism. Like it or not, there are some symbols in this country that just have deep-set meanings, these MEN knew exactly what it would mean when they burnt these crosses. Don't call it something it wasn't. Mischief it was not, Racism and Hate was definitely involved. Who knows how that affects sentencing, but at the very least we should be labeling it thus.
Finally, I love how people on this board are focusing on the NAACP, and "double-standards of racism" and not the issue at hand. Let me summarize what happened again for those who got lost after the word NAACP, these men burned crosses, whether or not the NAACP (people on this board's favorite punching bag) made a comment, this happened. What do you have to say about that? Let's not lose the issue at hand, because you feel like ranting. Where is the outrage against these idiots.
September 13, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fockerout (anonymous) says...
SgtPsycho-
i call BS on your "reporter w/ a gun to his head" experience.
September 13, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
"This is one of the things that pisses me off to no end is that it can't possibly be racist unless whites commit or say what ever the act is...If blacks say or do it's looked the other way I/E Rev Wright!"
IMO the extreme anger that has built up because of that very thing is what brings most of the emotional outbursts on this and other forums. I know I feel it and is harder and harder to remain calm so as to have my thoughts not be considered and just be ignored. BTW I don't believe anyone, including myself, here has condoned this and most if not all specificaly said they did not. This act was a direct contribution to those in the race business.
September 13, 2008 at 1:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyecantspel (anonymous) says...
The police should hang these 3 "men" from a old oak tree to make an example out of them, then burn down their parents houses. After that, maybe whip the parents as they watch the police roll the "men's" cars off of the Ravenel Bridge with the bodies inside.
That might not be enough for the NAACP, but you would see a reduction in cross burning after that.
September 13, 2008 at 1:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tc1 (anonymous) says...
"half- you are correct, being white and being from Megget doesn't make someone a racist, but being a white male from Megget that burns crosses kinda does."
Cheap shot, you know what was meant from the original post and you substituted "racist" for the posters "redneck"'.
September 13, 2008 at 2 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
CNN-10 is wrong in calling posts about Dot Scott ignorant. She is fair game to netter comments by interjecting her organization in the mix of this subject. The "double standard" of her lack of interjection on black on white and black on black crime cannot be ignored by those that have to read about her and see her on TV regularly. When she and her group get on TV and in the P&C and tell blacks not to kill others and for girls not to have babies out of wedlock then I will probably join it. Until then, as a purported or supposed community leader she must bare commentary whether it be ridicule, praise, or neutral and fair investigation into her organization's ideals.
September 13, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
halfsheli (anonymous) says...
Exactly tc1. What I wrote was that I will refrain from judging these fellows to be racist or not. My judgment is irrelevant anyway. They are who they are -- racist or just ignorant -- that's not for me to decide. My point was that it boggles the mind that the same people who are declaring the racist nature of the people are the same people who are name calling and steroetyping them with terms like redneck and white trash. Please do not twist my words to make your point.
Yes, their actions are absolutely offensive -- intentional or not. I do not condone what they've done. Nor do I think they should slink away unscathed. I simply think that this could used as an educational experience for them. Community service is an excellent way to produce positive results from these unfortunate and potentially damaging events.
September 13, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CNN_10 (anonymous) says...
Kid Yendor i do not care for the NAACP for one because there is alot of mess we need to clean up in the black community. Two the talk is always about Dot Scott and who cares about her she is narrowed minded anyway. Three i do not condone the cross burning whatsoever, however, these guys are going to get at least a year or two in prison. Which is a reasonably sentence. All i am saying is that we need to focus on this article and ignored Dot Scott because she is mention all the damn time.
September 13, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bkeelin (anonymous) says...
Burning crosses is different than burning the American Flag. Burning crosses are associated with racism while burning the American flag is a symbol of anti-Americanism. One hates a specific race which is an ignorant thing to do, while the other hates an entire nation regardless of race, which is ignorant as well. Racism is wrong regardless of which race hates which race. I have seen racist whites and I have seen racist blacks and I have seen racist hispanics. Most of these individuals were taught racism by their parents, either intentionally or unintentionally. Working in the inner-city I personally have notes of apology from young black kids that tell me they don't like being told what to do by white people. I have many other stories of racism from non-whites so please don't tell me it doesn't happen and please don't tell me it is ok for this to exist.
September 13, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
IPFreely (anonymous) says...
No doubt these three gentleman need to be punished. They knew what they were doing and for what ever misguided reason they did it is unknown. Punishment should include community service and meeting with families of those who were murdered by the clan. Then lets publish their experience in the post and courier so everyone knows they learned something. As for the NAACP, who cares they are in the business of racial hatred and if we all got along together then they would be out of business. They of course have their own agenda and just ignore them as I do.
September 13, 2008 at 2:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hightide (anonymous) says...
These are definitely not children and should be charged appropriately to prevent stupid behavior like this in the future.
And I must say, I'm really tired of reading comments about God-hating liberals. How ignorant can you be!
September 13, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
If the man that owns the property doesn't press charges, I don't see how much could be done to them. The bonds are way to high. I doubt they are a flight risk. I wonder who set the bonds?
September 13, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blackberry_fan (anonymous) says...
I do not condone what these kids did and they should be punished but bond is not supposed to be used as a punishment.
"The penalty for cross-burning is a misdemeanor that carries a possible one-year prison sentence and $500 fine. "
What really disturbs me is the fact that a judge can set the bond to 100 times the amount of the fine. Why is no one looking into this. $50,000.00 bond for a magistrate level offense. That is the real crime.
This could happen to any of us. Just imagine you go in front of a judge for a ticket and getting a $50,000.00 fine or bond. They should not have that much discretion.
September 13, 2008 at 6:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
Why in the hell is their bond so high?Didn't that woman who fried her kids in the car and stuffed their bodies in bags get the same or less bond?WTF?I agree these hill billy punks need punished but $50 grand for a bond?
September 13, 2008 at 6:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
commonsence (anonymous) says...
"The Klan historically burned crosses as a way of intimidating blacks and members of non-Protestant religious groups."
Does anyone know if the owner of the property was Catholic or Jewish?
Anybody check for the MySpace or Facebook pages for these "pranksters"?
September 13, 2008 at 6:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
We call upon all people of good will to stand against racial hatred, not only in public settings, but also in private and comfortable places where we sometimes say not what's polite, but what's really in our hearts, for those private conversations can have sad public results," NAACP President Dot Scott said...
YEAH PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH MA'AM, PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!
September 13, 2008 at 8:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UrGatorbait (anonymous) says...
Glad to see the bigots minimizing the issue, deflecting using the NAACP/ACLU.
When has the NAACP hung or lynched anyone? What an asinine comparison.
September 13, 2008 at 11:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blackberry_fan (anonymous) says...
"When has the NAACP hung or lynched anyone? What an asinine comparison."
And exactly who is killing young black men THESE days???
Young black men.
September 14, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
safire01 (anonymous) says...
I'm glad their pictures were shown!
September 15, 2008 at 12:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PalmettoDP (anonymous) says...
Let's not forget that the crime being prosecuted here is the burning of a cross while trespassing. If any of these young men owned property and decided to burn a cross (offensive as it is), there would be no crime.
September 15, 2008 at 1:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chuckiejeep (anonymous) says...
Racism is not going away unfortunatly. Especially when we have racist groups like the NAACP. Just the Klan of a different color.
September 23, 2008 at 8:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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