A Charlottesville man fined $ 1 after hitting a white nationalist organizer in Charlottesville last year



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Last year, Jeffrey Winder was charged with assault and battery after hitting the rally organizer at a press conference.

A day after the clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, a person had been killed, organizer Jason Kessler had just started his remarks in front of the Charlottesville City Hall when a chaotic scene unfolded.

Two members of the crowd approached him and quickly a crowd of photographers rushed to register the confrontation. In a few seconds, a man dressed in a red plaid shirt knocked Kessler in the back of his head as the police tried to escort him away from the crowd.

"He (Kessler) has had an incredible amount of nerves in front of the people of Charlottesville after the pain, suffering and terror that he has caused in the community.He should never be allowed to show his face in the city" said Winder. WVIR after the press conference but he did not comment directly on the aggression.

Winder was convicted of felony charges in February. He was initially sentenced to 30 days in prison, but appealed the judge's decision, WVIR reported.

& # 39; Unite the Right & # 39; Rally organizer escapes after confrontation during a media event

On Tuesday, a jury heard the case of Winder and pronounced a verdict of guilt.

Winder was facing 12 months in jail and a $ 2,500 fine. Instead, the jury recommended a $ 1 fine and no jail time.

Winder's lawyer, James Abrenio, declined to comment on Tuesday's verdict on behalf of his client. However, he told WVIR that Kessler acted harshly by holding a press conference the day after Heather Heyer's death.

"The circumstances of this case are obviously not something I do not think I've ever seen before: we have a guy [Kessler] who is doing everything in his power to take advantage of the tragedy, and that's really what it's all about, "Abrenio said out of court.

Winder was among several people who were arrested as a result of the incident. Another man, Edgar Brandon Collins, 44, was charged with assault and battery. It is not known whether he was convicted of the offenses.

Steve Almasy of CNN contributed to this report.

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