Innocent plea in Va. hate crash slay

The 21-year-old driver of a vehicle that ripped through crowds who were protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., last summer pleaded not guilty to 30 hate crimes in Federal Court on Thursday.

James Fields was indicted last month on the federal charges, including a hate crime resulting in the death of Heather Heyer. The 32-yearold paralegal died when a Dodge Challenger drove through a group of people calling for peace and equality as they held a counterprotest amid the August “Unite the Right” rally.

Fields told the judge Thursday that he’s receiving treatment for bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression and ADHD. He said he’s taking “several medications,” including anti-psychotics and antidepressants.

“Last summer’s violence in Charlottesville cut short a promising young life and shocked the nation,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, adding that the recent indictment “should send a clear message to every would-be criminal in America that we aggressively prosecute violent crimes of hate that threaten the core principles of our nation.”