Subtitled: When laywers want to have judges killed.
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http://crime.about.com/library/blfiles/ ... etrial.htm
The Trial of Matt Hale
by Bill Bickel
Dateline: 9/29/03
Last Update: 10/04/03
31-year-old Matt Hale is Pontifex Maximus (Supreme Leader) of the World Church of the Creator, a religious group that believes that the white race is "nature's highest creation". They don't believe in God, and believe that Jews created Christianity as a means of undermining the white race
Hale, who took over the movement in 1996, describes himself as "racist", seeing nothing negative about that description.
According to Hale's online biography, his religious epiphany came at age 12, when he read a copy of Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf
In 1992, Hale helped found -- and led -- the National Socialist White American's Party, which first brought him to national attention. It disbanded in 1995
In 1998, Hale earned a law degree and passed the Illinois bar exam. The state bar denied him a license to practice law because of his outspoken racial views
On July 2, 1999, a state panel denied his appeal, and he issued a statement reading "I have been denied my most precious rights of speech and religion. If the courthouse is closed to 'NON APPROVED RELIGIONS', America can only be headed for violence." That night, Benjamin Nathaniel Smith, a WCOTC member who felt particularly close to Hale, began a weekend-long shooting spree against African Americans and Jew that left 2 dead and 9 wounded before Smith took his own life. Hale declared: As far as we're concerned, the loss is one white man"
Hale contends that he is opposed to violence, and that Smith killed in his name without his knowledge or consent
At the time, Hale referred to Smith as a "former member" -- though he mentioned in a 1999 About/Crime interview that this was only true in the most technical sense.
Hale is currently a candidate for City Commissioner for East Peoria, IL. Part of his campaign promise reads "As your City Commissioner, I will fight to keep East Peoria an all-White community"
Several years ago, Oregon's Te-Ta-Ma Truth Foundation trademarked the name "Church of the Creator". On November 19, 2002, following a year of legal battles between the two organizations, U.S. District Court Judge Joan H. Lefkow issued an injunction prohibiting the World Church of the Creator from using any variation of the name -- including using the words "Church" and "Creator" in the same phrase -- in any manner. Hale was ordered to turn his ownership of churchofthecreator.com to the Foundation.
Hale refused to comply and on December 13, Judge Lefkow ordered him to show why he shouldn't be held in contempt.
On January 8, 2003, as he arrived in court for his hearing, he announced "I sued the judge... She's a defendant and she's going to be appearing in my court room pretty soon". Only a few minutes later, he was arrested and charged with soliciting somebody to murder Judge Lefkow -- for which he could serve 30 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty.
U.S. Attorney Patrick J Fitzgerald is not disclosing further details, including the name of the would-be murderer or how the plot was uncovered.
Analysis (January 10, 2003) from the Peoria Journal Star: Will Hale's arrest mean the end of the Creativity Movement (formerly the World Church of the Creator)?
He has been denied bail, and his trial is currently set to begin April 5, 2004. It was announced on August 29, 2003 that a federal grand jury is investigating whether he encouraged or even ordered Benjamin Smith's 1999 shooting spree. The first week in October, prosecutors announced they'd established a clear link.
Updates:
January 1, 2004
Federal prosecutors have filed a 22-page response to a defense argument that the white supremacist leader was manipulated into asking a follower (who was actually an FBI informant) to kill U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow.
October 30, 2003
A federal judge has postponed his "solicitation to murder" trial until April 5, and refused Hale's request to be set free on bail.
October 21, 2003
Prosecutors now have a second major witness against the white supremacist leader accused of soliciting the murder of a federal judge: The Illinois leader of the former World Church of the Creator is expected to testify that Hale spoke to him about having the judge killed (and this adds another count of solicitation against Hale). An FBI informant placed in Hale's organization claims Hale suggested to him that he kill the judge or have the judge killed.
October 4, 2003
Prosecutors have now linked Matt Hale to Benjamin Smith's 1999 racially-motivated shooting spree, saying that he "had an extremely close relationship with Smith, that he likely knew of Smith's plans in advance, and he did nothing to prevent Smith from carrying through with those plans."
"Your calling <b>me</b> a liar?"
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