Republished March 27, 2019 - 8:47 PM
Original Publication Date March 27, 2019 - 1:06 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Latest on a man pleading guilty to federal hate crime charges in a deadly car attack at white nationalist rally in Virginia(all times local):
4 p.m.
A man convicted on state murder charges in a deadly car attack at a white nationalist rally in Virginia has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges.
James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio, pleaded guilty Wednesday to 29 federal charges stemming from the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.
The 21-year-old Fields was convicted in December of first-degree murder and other state charges for killing anti-racism activist Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others. A jury found that Fields intentionally plowed his car into a crowd of people protesting against the white nationalists.
On Wednesday, Fields admitted he violated federal hate crime laws when he targeted the group.
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1 a.m.
A man convicted on state murder charges in a deadly car attack on counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia is due in federal court for a change-of-plea hearing.
James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio, was convicted in state court in December in the death of anti-racism activist Heather Heyer and for injuring dozens more.
Fields separately pleaded not guilty to 30 federal hate crime charges in July. An online court docket says Fields is scheduled to appear in federal court in Charlottesville on Wednesday for a change-of-plea hearing.
One of the charges carries the death penalty, although prosecutors have not announced whether they planned to seek that punishment.
A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen declined to comment. Lawyers for Fields did not respond to requests for comment.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019