Martinez said he was guilty and had no intention of fighting the charges as he “knowingly, intentionally and willingly” burned the flag. However, it was the reason that he burned the homosexual’s flag that prosecutors seemed to have a problem with. The 30-year-old faces 15 years in prison after being found guilty of a hate crime, third-degree harassment and being a habitual offender, KCCI reported. Column: Meet the man who made it legal to burn the American flag. 16 years for burning a gay pride flag Recently I reported on a man from Iowa who was sent to prison for 16 years for taking an LGBT flag from a church and then burning it outside of a strip club. “It's a blessing from the Lord to be able to stand for his world firmly, against all odds.” “It was an honor to do that,” Martinez told CNN affiliate KCCI. The AP reports that Adolfo Martinez, 30, was convicted last month, and Wednesday he was sentenced to at least 15 years behind bars for an arson hate crime, with an additional 30 days tacked on for harassment, per Story County records. A homophobe has been jailed for 16 years for stealing and burning a Church’s LGBTQ pride flag. '(Newser) An Iowa man will have a lot of time to reflect on how burning an LGBTQ flag in June wasnt the right move. Man Sentenced to 16 Years For Burning Gay Flag While Burning American Flag Remains Legal Get link Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Other Apps - DecemPosted at Reformation Charlotte: NATIONAL FILE. Martinez said he removed the flag because he didn't believe the church should support the LGBT community since it is a house of worship, the police report read. He said it was an ‘honor’ to burn the flag that he pulled down from the church door. He’s saved at least a dozen flags from the landfill in his 11 years on the job. via WGN:ĪMES, Iowa (WGN) - A man has been sentenced to 15 years after burning an LGBT flag hanging from a church in Iowa.Īdolfo Martinez was found guilty on Wednesday after tearing down and burning the flag, which was flying at the Ames United Church of Christ in June. Adolfo Martinez, 30, of Ames, was sentenced 15 years for the hate crime of arson, a year for reckless use of explosives or fire, and 30 days for harassment.
WGN Adolfo Martinez was sentenced to 15 years for hate crimes and harassment. An Iowa man who was arrested after tearing down and burning an LGBTQ flag that was hanging at a church will spend at least 15 years behind bars, according to reports.