Man accused of joining a flaming torch march pleads guilty to lesser charge

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Another man accused of carrying a lit torch to intimidate during a 2017 rally on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville has accepted a plea deal.

Dallas Jerome Nicholas Medina, 32, of Ravenna, Ohio, was originally charged with a felony intimidation charge, but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in Albemarle County Circuit Court on Oct. 31 and will not serve any prison time. Daily Progress reported.

“It seemed like a reasonable outcome, a reasonable compromise for everyone,” Medina’s attorney, Mike Hallahan, told The Daily Progress after the hearing.

The Medina case is among more than a dozen cases stemming from an incident on Aug. 11, 2017. At that time, a group of white nationalists marched on the University of Virginia campus carrying torches, some chanting “Jews will not replace us.” He was the fourth participant to enter into a plea agreement.

In addition to the four misdemeanor charges, six people were convicted of felonies and one case ended in a mistrial because jurors were unable to reach a verdict.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Lawton Tufts, who prosecuted Medina, told the court three factors warranted a lesser charge: he had no prior criminal record, he had not been accused of assaulting anyone and he helped stop the fight.

Medina remained silent when asked if he wanted to comment.

“I have to go home,” he told The Daily Progress. “I am sad.”