Kevin A. Smith Jr. apologized Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court for vandalizing Minersville's Church of Broken Pieces in February, but still received a prison sentence and extended probation.
"I thought it would be funny," Smith, 18, of Schuylkill Haven, told Judge Jacqueline L. Russell. "I really don't know why I did it."
What he admitted doing was spray-painting the 41 N. Front St. church, which has a primarily African-American congregation, with racist and satanic graffiti, including a swastika and a pentagram, on Feb. 21.
"I'm not really a racist," said Smith, who pleaded guilty Aug. 21 to ethnic intimidation, conspiracy, institutional vandalism, corruption of minors, desecration of venerated objects, criminal mischief and harassment.
What he received for it from Russell was a prison sentence of three to 23 months, plus an additional three years probation, payment of costs, $200 in fines and $300 restitution to the church, 80 hours community service, submission of a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities and mental health and drug and alcohol evaluations.
"I hope you are successful with any kind of treatment you might need," Russell said. "I hope your life starts to turn around."
What he left behind was a horrified congregation that its pastor said still wants to put the incident behind it.
"We are a product of the '60s. It brought back such horrible memories," said the Rev. Gloria Alexander, one of the church's two pastors. "Everyone came together to pray for healing."
Alexander, whose husband, the Rev. Harold, also is a pastor at the church, balanced the sadness she felt and the desire to forgive Smith, and indicated she was satisfied with the sentence.
"The people that I counsel and the young people that came together just find it so hard to understand," she testified. "As a mother, you wish you could protect them. You wish you could spare the young people."
Minersville citizens also rallied to support the church, which Gloria Alexander said has a congregation that is 65 percent African-American. Three days after the incident, 70 volunteers, including 55 Minersville Area High School students, turned out in bitterly cold weather to help remove the graffiti.
"One of the greatest things out of it ... was the students from Minersville," Gloria Alexander said.
Before being sentenced, Smith told Russell he has limited contact with his mother, is not certain where is father is and has a troubled past.
"I started (using drugs) when I was 14," he said. "I was intoxicated when I was brought to the prison. The last time I actually went to church was with my aunt when I was 6 years old."
Russell found the last statement particularly important.
"Perhaps you don't understand how upsetting it is for a group of parishioners to go to their house of worship and see it defiled," the judge told Smith.
Minersville police had charged Smith and a 16-year-old boy with defacing the building, which is the former St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Prosecutors dropped a disorderly conduct charge.
Assistant District Attorney William C. Reiley and Assistant Public Defender Andrea L. Thompson, Smith's attorney, each said afterwards the sentence reflected a proper result.
"I think the church detects a true sense of contrition by the young defendant, who not only learned for himself, but through coverage of the event, hopefully has taught others the effects of misguided attempts at a prank that has such serious consequences," Reiley said.
"I do think he's truly remorseful. I think he learned more from the church's forgiveness than anything else," Thompson said.
Gloria Alexander also told Smith outside the courtroom how much she wants him to learn from the incident.
"I will pray for you that you will get your life together and you will succeed," she said.
Friday, September 28, 2007
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