The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the hate crime conviction of a man who left derogatory notes on Boone homes where a rainbow flag was flying.
Robert Geddes argued the handwritten notes he left were free speech and his conviction for trespass as a hate crime violated his constitutional rights. The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the conviction, saying the statute in question does not criminalize speech, but does criminalize conduct with a specific intent to trespass on property because of the property owner or possessor’s association with persons of a certain sexual orientation.
Geddes was sentenced to five consecutive one-year terms, with credit for time served and the jail time suspended, He was placed on probation for up to two years.
Here’s the full decision: Gerdes ruling PDF