All Charges Dropped Against Woman Who Vandalized Satanic Display in Florida Capitol

Late last year, we learned that The Satanic Temple’s display in the Florida State Capitol Building had been vandalized.

It turned out that the vandal was Susan Hemeryck, a 54-year-old Tea Party activist who wore a shirt with the phrase “Catholic Warrior” on it.

At the time, she said this about her crime:

[Hemeryck] had only one regret about Tuesday’s incident.

‘I just yanked that little devil off the fishing line,’ she said. ‘I should have just done a better job and finished it off for good.’

There was even security camera footage of Hemeryck walking out with the display:

A couple of months ago, in court, Hemeryck pled not guilty on misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief. (How is that even possible when there’s videotape evidence against her?)

“We are not sure there was a crime,” Hemeryck’s attorney Mike Bauer said. “I think this case represents the state basically putting an attack on Christians. That would be her viewpoint.”

She vandalized The Satanic Temple’s property… but, because she faces punishment for her crime, it’s an attack on her faith.

There’s some #ChristianLogic for you.

Hemeryck’s trial was supposed to begin Monday, but it looks like it won’t happen anymore:

Prosecutors dropped charges of criminal mischief Friday against a Tallahassee woman who was accused of damaging a holiday display of the Satanic Temple.

…

Prosecutors with the state attorney’s office cited a lack of evidence that the display was damaged and dropped the charges even after a jury had been selected.

Hemeryck picked up the display and attempted to carry it out of the Capitol before police stopped her Dec. 23 — the day after it was set up.

“The defendant is simply carrying the display,” court records say. “No damages are apparent — it is simply disassembled.”

…

“The quality is akin to a school science fair project — cardboard and paint,” prosecutors wrote.

You see? She didn’t vandalize the display. She just tried to vandalize it and failed miserably. And even if she did destroy it, it’s just a simple display, so stop going after the poor woman.

Hemeryck doesn’t even show any regret:

Hemeryck in a statement said “I am very grateful to God for giving me the grace to take a stand against Satan and those who invoke his name even if they do not fully know what they are doing.”

“I was not afraid of going to trial,” she added. “I wanted the jury to know that I did not act criminally as wrongly portrayed, but a devout Catholic following the Church’s teaching for non-violent and peaceful opposition of evil.”

So she admits she was trying to destroy the display… in order to follow her Church’s teachings.

I promise you we’d be seeing a very different result if an atheist tried to vandalize a Nativity Scene in the state capitol building.

(Large portions of this article were posted earlier. Thanks to Brian for the link)