Kentucky Supreme Court Upholds SPLC’s Verdict Against Klan Leader

Ron Edwards has seen his once-sprawling Imperial Klans of America (IKA) dwindle to nearly nothing since the Southern Poverty Law Center won a $2.5 million verdict against him and a lieutenant in 2008. Now, Edwards sits in a federal prison on unrelated gun and drug charges. This week, he got more bad news. The Kentucky Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal, meaning the $1.3 million portion of the verdict assessed against him personally will stand. The ruling closes the book on the SPLC case, which was filed on behalf of a Latino teen who was brutally beaten by IKA members at a county fair.