Woman Who Stomped On ‘Back The Blue’ Sign, Ends Up Getting Charged With Hate Crime
A 19-year-old woman from Utah has been charged with a hate crime and faces up to a year in jail when a sheriff’s deputy saw that she stomped on a pro-police ‘Back the Blue’ sign, crumbled it up, dumped it in a trash can while “smirking” at the officer in an “intimidating manner.”
According to the St. George News, a Garfield County sheriff’s officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding at a gas station on Panguitch’s Main Street on Wednesday.
The deputy stated in a probable cause affidavit, “As I concluded my traffic stop and released the individuals, I observed some of the individuals’ friends approach them and attempt to console them.”
“I observed one of the friends, later identified to be Lauren Gibson, stomping on a ‘Back the Blue’ sign next to where the traffic stop was conducted, crumble it up in a destructive manner, and throw it into a trash can all while smirking in an intimidating manner towards me,” the deputy continued, according to the report.
The lady was questioned where she obtained the sign, and she said it belonged to her mother the woman’s mother resides in California, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
The officer then informed her that the local sheriff’s office created those particular signs, and it was determined that “she had acquired [the sign] in our community,” according to the Tribune, citing the affidavit.
The officer said that after reading the lady her Miranda rights, she provided “inconsistent stories” about where she got the sign until she finally said she found it on the ground, according to the Tribune.
According to the affidavit, “Due to [the woman] destroying property that did not belong to her in a manner to attempt to intimidate law enforcement, I placed her under arrest.”
More from the outlet:
“Gibson was subsequently arrested and booked into Garfield County Jail on suspicion of criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, an infraction.”
“According to the charging documents, the hate crime enhancement was applied to the criminal mischief charge “due to the demeanor displayed by Gibson in attempts to intimidate law enforcement while destroying a ‘pro law enforcement’ sign.”
“Criminal mischief is typically classified as a class B misdemeanor in Utah, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. However, with the hate crime enhancement, the charge elevates to a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and up to $2,500 in fines.”
“The applicable section of Utah State Code is 76-3-203.14, where a new section titled “Victim Targeting Penalty Enhancements” was passed into law by the Utah Legislature in 2019. Under the law’s definitions, a person’s status as a law enforcement officer is one of 18 different personal attributes listed which may qualify a criminal offense for a possible hate crime enhancement.”
The ACLU criticized the hate crime charge
The decision by the Garfield County Attorney’s office to grant a hate crime enhancement in this case has the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah “extremely troubled and disappointed” according to the News.
“This kind of charging decision sends an extremely chilling message to the community that the government will seek harsher punishment for people charged with crimes who disagree with police actions,” the ACLU said.
“This concern is even greater because we do not view the enhancement as supportable under the language of the statute. We consistently warn that enhancements are oftentimes used to single out unpopular groups or messages rather than provide protections for marginalized communities,” the outlet continued.
The ACLU’s statement stated that this case “confirmed those warnings,” the News added.
According to the News, the organization said, “Bringing a charge against this person that could result in her spending a year in jail makes no sense both in terms of simple fairness and expending the county’s time and money.”
Gibson was freed from jail after agreeing to appear in court to face the allegations, according to the News. Gibson’s home has yet to be revealed on court records. Although no court date has been scheduled, the matter has been assigned to Sixth District Judge Marvin D. Bagley, according to the publication.
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