Black leader blasts judge’s sentence for white supremacist

Martin Griffith

Monday, Dec. 7, 1998 | 8:39 a.m.

SPARKS, Nev. - A black leader criticized a judge's sentence for a self-proclaimed white supremacist, saying it let the defendant off the hook for placing swastikas on a black woman's home.

Ken Dalton, president of the Reno-Sparks NAACP chapter, said Sunday that he thinks Sparks Municipal Judge Larry Sage's sentence was too lenient.

Sage last week sentenced Jason Kamerer to four days in jail and 96 hours of community service. Kamerer pleaded no contest to one count of misdemeanor destruction of property in a plea bargain.

Kamerer, 21, was accused of painting a swastika above the doorway of the woman's home and carving a swastika on her door last summer. The two were neighbors at the time, but the victim has since moved out of state.

"When I heard about it, I couldn't believe they gave such a light sentence," Dalton said. "They should have slammed this guy. Instead, they gave him a slap on the hand.

"They needed to let this area know that we won't tolerate this in the least. Why do we have to wait so someone is seriously harmed before they do anything?"

But Sage said his sentence was reasonable given the facts that Kamerer is relatively young, had no prior criminal record and made restitution for the damage. Kamerer committed an act of terror, not violence, the judge added.

"I view hate crimes and stalking as crimes of terror," he said. "They're right below crimes of violence, which cause injuries. I did the best balancing I could with my experience and training."

Even though he sought a 10-day jail sentence in the case, chief city prosecutor Timothy Randolph agreed the sentence was sufficient.

"I think the message that the city will prosecute and seek jail in these types of cases will let people know how the city treats these cases," he said. "I don't know if there's anything that will stop hatemongers from being hatemongers."

Sage imposed a suspended 180-day jail sentence. The judge also ordered Kamerer to spend 30 days on house arrest and to send a written apology to the victim.

But Dalton said he thinks the defendant should have been sentenced to at least a year in prison. Misdemeanor convictions carry a maximum six-month jail term.

He also criticized Randolph's handling of the case, saying it should have been prosecuted as a felony hate crime because of its seriousness.

But Randolph said authorities were limited in their ability to charge Kamerer with a more serious crime because they were unable to find the woman.

"To prove beyond a reasonable doubt you have to get beyond assumptions ... It would be tougher without the victim," he said.

But Dalton accused prosecutors of making excuses.

"The woman was scared enough to move. Look at the intimidation factor he put out," he said.

"If he knows he'll only get four days in jail, what is he going to feel the next time he intimidates someone? Why not nip it in the bud and make him think about it?"

In return for his no contest plea, prosecutors dismissed another destruction of property charge and a misdemeanor stalking charge against Kamerer.

The case was only the latest in a series of crimes involving white supremacists in the Reno area. Others were convicted for the murders of a black man in 1988 and a gay man in 1994.