The judge presiding over the case of the alleged shooter in the murder of nine worshipers at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church has ruled the defendant may represent himself in his criminal trial. Prosecutors are asking for the death penalty.
As reported by Breitbart Texas and USA Today on Friday, 22-year-old Dylann Storm Roof was found competent to stand trial. Federal District Judge Richard Gergel made the ruling on Friday morning after two days of hearings. Roof was present but the public was denied access. Various media outlets objected to the public’s being excluded from the hearings.
Now the young man who is facing the death penalty for the alleged hate crime may represent himself in his criminal trial, the judge has ruled, reported the Associated Press on Monday morning. The jury selection is set to begin on Monday.
Breitbart News reported on June 20, 2015 that a manifesto was found that was believed to be Roof’s. The manifesto, which was registered in the alleged killer’s name, was reported to have revealed “deeply racist, anti-American, anti-Semitic, and white supremacist views.” It was created in February of the same year as the murders.
The alleged mass-murderer defendant reportedly said in his manifesto with regard to his experience with blacks–“Ni—-rs are stupid and violent.” He added “Jewish agitation of the black race” is the reason blacks behave as they do.
His solution–“Segregation was not a bad thing … It existed to protect us from them.”
He also expressed the opinion that apartheid as in South Africa should be imposed to strip blacks of their rights.
Roof expressed racist disdain for Jews and Hispanics as well.
A photo of Roof burning the American flag went viral after the shootings. Roof said in his manifesto, “I hate the sight of the American flag. Modern American patriotism is an absolute joke.”
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.
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