A Mississippi man who made national headlines for tearing down and beheading a Satanic display in the Iowa State Capitol last year pleaded guilty last month to criminal mischief.
Michael Cassidy, 36, facing a felony hate crimes charge, reportedly entered the plea in an exchange that would drop the felony charge over his destruction of the image of the Baphomet deity, the Des Moines Register reported.
Cassidy, a former candidate for the Mississippi House of Representatives, was reportedly set to go to trial June 3 and could have faced five years behind bars after failing to convince the court to dismiss his case. This led his attorney to file a guilty plea for third-degree criminal mischief without the felony enhancement, The Christian Post reported.
Listen to the latest episode of “Quick Start” 👇
Under the agreement, Cassidy will potentially engage in dialogue with the Satanic Temple, pay an $855 civil penalty, dole out restitution, and receive “a deferred judgment with two years probation,” the outlet noted.
The Backstory
As previously reported, Cassidy told CBN News in December he felt destroying the display was the “right thing to do.”
“We should not tolerate Satan,” he told CBN News at the time.
The entire ordeal unfolded after Cassidy learned on social media The Satanic Temple had installed a display in the capitol building. He found himself concerned over its presence and decided to take action.
“When I saw it, I thought, ‘How on earth can Satanic icons be in the capitol?'” he said. “And I thought, ‘You know, it’s some kind of oversight. … some little bureaucracy.'”
Cassidy said he assumed the government would take it down once they realized what it was, considering the symbol was an attempt to “honor Satan.” But, once the display wasn’t removed, he said he got a plane ticket to Iowa and went to see the symbol for himself.
“Whatever emotion you may have felt looking at it online, it’s completely different when you are actually in the capitol,” Cassidy said. “I’m an American. I’ve been in the Navy for my entire adult life. I’ve fought to protect the country, and it wasn’t to protect Satan. We say, ‘So help me God,’ not, ‘So help me Satan.'”
He continued, “It became very clear to me that this could not stand. … It was intolerable for it to be there and, so I did what I did.”
Watch Cassidy explain:
After destroying the symbol, Cassidy said he cleaned up some of the debris and went over to security to turn himself in.
“It really boils down to: God is good and deserves praise and Satan is evil and does not deserve [it],” Cassidy said. “The devil is bad and it’s not something that we should promote.”
He also responded to those who charged his actions were merely a public relations stunt.
“I certainly saw this ahead of time,” Cassidy said. “But … I did not have a full plan of what I was going to do … there was no set plan. There was certainly an immense dislike that I had from seeing it online.”
In the end, he said the decision to destroy the Satanic display came along with risks — potential perils he knew the moment he took action.
“When I made that decision in the capitol, I knew that there is going to be potential penalties,” Cassidy said. “I don’t know what the exact … charge was going to be, but I could imagine that … it could lead to jail, could lead to … severe financial hardship.”
He added, “But it was the right thing to do that; we should not tolerate Satan.”
Not today, Satan.
— Michael Cassidy ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@Mike_Cassidy_MS) May 24, 2024
Pleased to announce the Iowa DA just dropped their absurd felony hate crime charge and instead offered a deferred judgement misdemeanor (a fine, no jail time, nothing permanent on my record), which I accepted. Many thanks to my family, my lawyers, my community,…
The Satanic Temple released a statement at the time calling the destruction of its holiday display “disheartening,” but said it has “only strengthened” their resolve to “advocate for religious pluralism and freedom of expression.”
“We were thrilled to be part of the Iowa State Capitol’s Holiday display for the first time this year. Despite experiencing the destruction and beheading of our display on Dec. 14, our congregation united to rebuild, embodying the resilience and spirit of our community,” The Satanic Temple Iowa stated. “As our time at the Capitol concludes, we carry with us a sense of accomplishment and a renewed commitment to advocating for religious pluralism and freedom of speech.”
How Cassidy Was Charged
At first, Cassidy was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. But, as KCCI-TV reported, he was also accused of violating an act under Iowa’s hate crime statute that is “in violation of individual rights.”
The outlet reported late last year that the legal claim against Cassidy eventually rose to a third-degree criminal mischief charge, known as a class D felony.
“Evidence shows the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property because of the victim’s religion,” Lynn Hicks, a spokesman for the Polk County Attorney’s Office, said in a statement at the time.
The statement recounts the alleged events that unfolded Dec. 14 and details the cost of the damage.
“Mr. Cassidy dismantled the Baphomet Altar on Dec. 14 at the Iowa State Capitol and destroyed the headpiece, according to an Iowa State Patrol report,” it read. “Based on information from the victims, the cost to replace or repair the property is between $750 and $1,500. That amount would make the offense third-degree criminal mischief, an aggravated misdemeanor, according to Iowa Code Section 716.5.”
But that charge rose to third-degree criminal mischief in violation of individual rights after Cassidy purportedly said he destroyed the monument “because of the victim’s religion.” A class D felony is punishable by no more than five years behind bars and could come with fines.
What Cassidy’s Team Is Saying
Cassidy, who has raised almost $134,100 for his defense fund on GiveSendGo, reportedly no longer faces prison time after pleading guilty.
Funds continue to be raised on his behalf for legal and employment expenses. Any leftover monies will “benefit other Christian veterans in similar legal trouble through a nonprofit called Stand With Warriors.”
Sara Pasquale, Cassidy’s attorney, told the Des Moines Register she believes prosecutors held a bias against her client, though she expressed being pleased with the end result.
“We have continually contested the hate crime and questioned whether Mr. Cassidy was being targeted due to his religious beliefs,” Pasquale said. “We are therefore very pleased that the state ultimately decided to drop the hate crime and are hopeful that this case will bring awareness to similar situations throughout the country.”
Cassidy also took to social media to share the news, thanking his lawyers, community, and fellow Christians for their support.
“Not today, Satan,” he wrote. “Pleased to announce the Iowa DA just dropped their absurd felony hate crime charge and instead offered a deferred judgment misdemeanor (a fine, no jail time, nothing permanent on my record), which I accepted.”
He continued, “When Christians stick together, we can, and we will, win.”
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, invented by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***