Macedonia Baptist Church v. Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, et al.
"The Church Arson Trial"
Klan blames church fire on "rogue members."
MANNING, SOUTH CAROLINA, July 20 (Court TV) -- The Macedonia Baptist Church's case against the Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan began as plaintiff lawyer Morris Dees told jurors that Klan has long terrorized African-Americans and encouraged violence against them. However, the Klan tried to separate itself from its four former members who were responsible for burning the Macedonia Baptist Church down in 1995, dismissing the four arsonists as "rogue members."
During his opening statements, Dees targeted the Klan and particularly Horace King, the Grand Dragon of the Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in South Carolina. He said that King has long preached hate for African-Americans and was responsible for encouraging a conspiracy to terrorize and eliminate African-Americans. King's message encouraged followers such as Arthur Haley, Hubert Rowell, Timothy Welch, and Gary Cox to torch the Macedonia Baptist Church, and that is why he and the Klan as a group are liable for damages.
"The Ku Klux Klan and King preached hatred for African-Americans. And they didn't call them African-Americans...they called them niggers," Dees said. "He [King] would tell his followers, 'If you catch a nigger walking down the street, and no one is watching, hit him over the head and kill him!'"
However, in his opening statements, defense attorney Gary White III said that while the actions against the Macedonia Baptist Church were horrible, King and the Klan cannot be held responsible. White characterized the arson that destroyed the church as an isolated incident involving renegade members of the Klan. He said that Klan officials would have expelled Haley, Rowell, Welch, and Cox if they had known about their intentions beforehand. King and the Christian Knights, White said, have never endorsed violence and church burning. The Klan's ideology focuses on thoughts, not actions.
The 12-panel jury seated for this trial consists of nine African-Americans and three whites. There is speculation over whether the African-American members of the jury will be too intimidated by possible Klan retaliation if they find the group liable for the Macedonia Church burning.
Top of page
|
