A Chicago federal judge went out of his way to extol the professionalism of a local black attorney he feels went above the call-of-duty in defending a white supremacist recently convicted in an arson fire that left eight, innocent African-American children homeless.
Though Judge Robert Gettleman, sentenced Brian James Moudry to the maximum of 10 years in prison, he apparently walked away quite impressed with the compassion and expertise court-appointed defender MiAngel Cody exhibited on his behalf.
In negotiating, a plea deal for a man who proudly has the tattoo "Blue Eyed Devil," painted against the back of his shaved head, Cody argued Moudry's un-medicated schizophrenia, his history of childhood abuse at the hands of his father, and the fact that he was "extremely intoxicated" had all played a role in his decision to attack his innocent neighbors.
Gesturing toward Cody, Gettleman told Moudry "just looking at this lady next to you … who has represented you so ably and compassionately" should teach you that "race doesn't matter. Everyone who comes into this room is of the same race – the human race, and that is why we try to treat eveyone equally under the law."
Prosecutors described a crime scene where Moudry, 36, poured gasoline on his neighbors' home, at around 4 a.m., then callously ignited it, sending all eight of the under 14-years-old kids inside scurrying for safety.
In addition to the arson charge, Moudry also pled guilty to using fire to interfere with the victims' housing rights on the basis of race. He has been in custody since May 2012 and the judge has also ordered that he pay more than $7,000 in restitution and undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Wearing an orange prison-issued jumpsuit, Moudry declined to speak during his sentencing hearing, but the Chicago Sun-Times reported that he vigorously nodded when Gettlman told him he was lucky the fire did not kill anyone and that "things could have been a lot worse."
Hopes for Moudry's redemption quickly faded, however, when prosecutors told the judge that since being incarcerated he had engaged in at least two recent fights at the Metropolitan Correction Center, one of them which ended with him beating a black inmate across the head with a lock and screaming "Yeah, I'm a white m*********er from Chicago, m***********."
"This was an exceptionally despicable," motivated hate crime, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy DePodesta told the court of the fire. "The victims of the arson did nothing, but move into a new residence in Joliet. Unbeknownst to the victims, several houses down lived a white supremacist who never knew the victims but hated them because they were African American."
DePodesta wrapped up by telling the court "his views are certainly protected, his violent actions are not. If you threaten someone because of their race, you forfeit your right to live in a free society."