The suspect accused of setting fire to Jackson’s Beth Israel synagogue earlier this month has pleaded not guilty to a felony arson charge.
Stephen Spencer Pittman appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi Tuesday for a preliminary and detention hearing.
Shamira Muhammad
Arson suspects pleads not guilty
He wore an orange jumpsuit with “Madison County Inmate” printed on the back, his hands and ankles bandaged because of third-degree burns, according to his public defender, Mike Scott. A Bible sat on the table in front of Pittman.
Scott entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client, who spoke only when U.S. Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac asked if he understood his rights.
“So help me God, absolutely nothing but the truth,” Pittman said.
The courtroom was filled with law students, the press and several members of Beth Israel.
Pittman is accused of using a torch lighter and an accelerant to damage a significant portion of Jackson, Mississippi’s only synagogue in the early morning hours of January 10. The fire destroyed the temple’s library and administrative offices, as well as two Torahs.
According to an affidavit, Pittman told both his father and law enforcement that he committed the crime because the institution was a “synagogue of Satan.”
The federal arson charge carries a minimum charge of five years and no more than 20 years in prison. Pittman also faces a state level arson charge which carries a “hate crime enhancement.” He faces 60 years in prison if convicted.
During arguments to determine Pittman’s eligibility for bond, Scott, a federal public defender, argued there was no grounds for his client’s continued detention: he poses no serious danger to potential witnesses and should be deemed eligible, with potential conditions including home confinement, a mandatory employment order and no contact with potential witnesses.
Scott said Pittman was a local resident who had gone to a local school, had no financial resources and no incentive to leave the state. He said the defendant's family was in the area and his injuries prevented him from being a flight risk.
The government, however, argued Pittman was eligible for continued detention because he poses a serious risk and could obstruct justice or threaten and intimidate potential witnesses.
Prosecutor Matthew Wade Allen called on the government’s witness, FBI special agent Ariel Williams, who testified that Pittman’s parents told law enforcement that their son’s behavior had become erratic over the winter break. They said their pets had grown fearful of Pittman and both parents said they considered locking their bedroom doors at night.
Williams, who reviewed FBI documents related to the case, said Pittman’s parents referenced an earlier incident involving their son as reason for their fear, claiming that their son made offensive comments to his mother and appeared aggressive to his father when the latter tried to defend his wife.
According to Williams’s testimony, Pittman’s parents feared calling law enforcement in front of their son after he admitted to burning the synagogue. They devised a plan for his mother to take him to the University of Mississippi Medical Center for treatment while his father called local law enforcement.
Williams said an associate of the defendant had also contacted the FBI after hearing Pittman make antisemitic comments and saying that he was going to “burn a synagogue.”
Judge Isaac declined to rule on whether the arson constituted a “crime of violence” but determined that continued detention of Pittman was “warranted,” denying bond in the hearing because of the threat the defendants poses to potential witnesses. Pittman continues to be in the custody of the U.S. Marshall Service.
“It's definitely a string of emotions. It's more like a tidal wave,” said Zach Shemper, president of the Beth Israel congregation. “For the judge to detain him until the hearing, I think it's the right call. I don't think anybody wants or needs him out. I think he is a risk to those around him and frankly, I don't know if he has anywhere to go because it doesn't sound like his parents want him at home either.”
During the hearing, Pittman said he completed three semesters of college and had graduated from college. Shemper says normally he'd be able to consider someone's life experiences when trying to understand a case like this.
“But this kid is 19, he hasn't had many life experiences. So I just, I wonder how something like that happens,” he said.
Beth Israel was founded in 1860 and is Mississippi’s largest synagogue with at least 150 member families. Shemper said the congregation has taken more precautions around its worship services and is preparing to rebuild the synagogue with a tighter security system.
A trial has been set for February 23.