Former officer Michael Cassidy, who had been accused of committing hate crimes after destroying a satanic altar at the Iowa state Capitol, will not go to prison.
The Sentinel reported that Iowa prosecutors dropped hate crime charges against Cassidy on Friday in exchange for a guilty plea to a less serious misdemeanor charge.
According to the report, Democratic Polk County Prosecutor Kimberly Graham had expanded Cassidy's charges to include hate crimes. In this way, the former military man could have received a sentence of up to five years in prison if convicted, according to Iowa law.
However, Cassidy ultimately agreed with prosecutors to plead guilty to third-degree criminal mischief.
The former military man avoided a prison sentence in exchange for paying a fine and the dismissal of hate crimes that the Prosecutor's Office expanded.
Cassidy rose to national prominence after pushing over and decapitating a disputed statue installed by the Iowa Satanic Temple last year.
Cassidy's attorney, David Younts, told The Sentinel that prosecutors “finally agreed to drop the hate crimes enhancement after months-long legal battles over every aspect of this case.”
“It is because of the people that came to his aid and an outstanding legal team that we were able to back the prosecutors into a corner and get this resolution,” the lawyer celebrated.
“Instead of a felony hate crime and jail time, Cassidy received deferred judgment for damage to property and the conviction will be expunged once the court process is complete. Forcing the prosecutors to drop the hate crime is a huge victory for Cassidy and for religious freedom,” Younts said.
