Richard Dale Morrison

Born August 20 1973, Richard Dale Morrison is an American inmate convicted of damaging religious property, after he pled guilty to setting fire to an all-black Church of Christ in Henderson, Nevada in 1996. Sentenced to 63 months imprisonment at Victorville Prison by Judge Philip Pro, he was the first person charged under the Church Arson Prevention Act passed earlier that year.

In March 2003, he was charged with a misdemeanour offence for assaulting John Walker Lindh as he knelt for evening prayers in the chapel, screaming obscenities. [ [http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/john-walker-lindh/imprisonment.html John Walker Lindh - Imprisonment ] ] [http://malaurie.com/frenchamericanfriendship/images/report.pdf] Lindh was left with only minor bruises to his forehead. [Chicago Sun-Times, [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20030704/ai_n12508199 Calif. inmate charged with attacking American Taliban] , Jul 4, 2003 ] Reports suggested that the issue was unrelated to Lindh's conviction, and was the result of a fight between Muslims and White Supremacists in the prison. [Washington Post via Reuters, "Inmate Charged with Assault on 'American Taliban'" Thursday, July 3, 2003]

The assault saw Morrison face a further 6 months in prison, after he was defended at the speedy trial by public defender Manuel Araujo.

He was released on March 2, 2006.

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