Lawyers ask for Fields to be sanctioned for allegedly destroying evidence
Lawyers ask for Fields to be sanctioned for allegedly destroying evidence
By Tyler Hammel The (Charlottesville) Daily Progress 14 hrs ago
Plaintiffs in a long-running civil suit are claiming that James Alex Fields Jr. should be sanctioned for allegedly destroying documents after the 2017 Unite the Right rally.
In the last month, counsel for plaintiffs in the Sines v. Kessler lawsuit filed motions to compel documents, devices and online credentials from Fields, as well as Jeff Schoep, who formerly led the National Socialist Movement. This motion follows several other motions to compel that targeted the National Socialist Movement and Robert Azzmador Ray, alleging the defendants have ignored their requirements.
All four are among the more than a dozen defendants who organized or attended the Aug. 12, 2017, Unite the Right rally who are named in the suit, filed on behalf of a number of Charlottesville-area residents by Integrity First for America.
In recent filings, counsel for Fields has argued that he should not be sanctioned and has provided everything responsive that he can. Because Fields has been imprisoned since he drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters at the rally, murdering Heather Heyer, he has not had access to his digital accounts, the filing argues.
Unlike most other defendants, Fields immediately became unable to access any electronic device or log in to his accounts, the filing reads. This increases the likelihood that his recollection of such accounts would fade.
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