Iowa's hate crime law requires that the victim was targeted because of their “race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability,” or because of their ”association with" people in those categories. He said his conviction violated his free speech rights. On appeal, Geddes argued prosecutors failed to prove he targeted persons who were LGBTQ or had a connection with them. He was later convicted and was sentenced to up to two years of probation. He was charged with five counts of trespassing as a hate crime. The recipients told police they found the notes “alarming, annoying, and/or threatening,” according to the decision.īased on surveillance video from some of the homes, police identified Geddes as the man who left the notes, and he acknowledged posting them. All said, “burn that gay flag.” One contained additional anti-gay slurs. Handwritten notes turned up in June 2021 taped to the front doors of five renters and homeowners in Boone who displayed rainbow flags or decals. “The individuals’ display of the LGBTQ+ flag or flag decal on their own properties was an exercise of First Amendment rights the defendant’s surreptitious entry onto those properties to post his harassing notes was not,” the court said.
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