Plaintiffs: Connie Mansfield, the mother of victim Harold Mansfield
Defendants: William Pierce, leader of the neo-Nazi group National Alliance
Date(s) of Disposition:
05/13/1996: Trial opens
05/31/1996: $85,000 judgment for the plaintiff
07/27/1998: Judgment upheld by Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Complaint
: Complaint 2-27-95
Judgment
: Judgment and stay of execution 5-31-96
Enforcing the court-mandated judgment
A follower of the white supremacist group Church of the Creator (COTC) murdered black sailor Harold Mansfield in 1991 and subsequently received an award from COTC leaders. The Center sued in Mansfield v. Church of the Creator and won a $1 million judgment against the COTC.But before the judgment was made, the COTC transferred ownership of its headquarters to William Pierce, leader of the neo-Nazi National Alliance, to prevent their headquarters from falling into the hands of Mansfield's family. William Pierce was an infamous racist and author of The Turner Diaries, a fictional account that has inspired many terrorists, including Timothy McVeigh.
In 1995, the Center sued Pierce for his role in the fraudulent scheme and won an $85,000 judgment. The award was collected prior to Pierce's death in 2002.
