Mississippi man charged with destroying Iowa Capitol Satanic Temple display pleads guilty

A Mississippi man accused of vandalizing a display from the Satanic Temple of Iowa in the state Capitol last December is pleading guilty to criminal mischief in exchange for a felony charge being dropped.

Michael Cassidy, a former Republican congressional candidate, was charged with a felony under under Iowa's hate crime statute for destroying the display, which depicted the horned deity Baphomet.

Cassidy, 36, later told a conservative website that "my conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted."

The vandalism, which occurred Dec. 14, came after intensive media coverage and consternation from political leaders over the display, which was installed under rules permitting religious groups to reserve display space in the Capitol.

Previously: Man who vandalized Satanic display at Iowa Capitol says he 'felt convicted' to remove it

Cassidy was set to stand trial June 3 after the court denied his motion to dismiss the case, but on Friday morning, his attorney filed a plea of guilty on his behalf. According to the filing, Cassidy admits to third-degree criminal mischief, but as an aggravated misdemeanor, without the hate crime enhancement.

He admits in writing that he "partially dismantled a display in the Iowa State Capitol Building, without a right/license to do so," and that the damage caused was greater than $750.

The agreement calls for Cassidy to receive a deferred judgment with two years probation, an $855 civil penalty, and to pay restitution in an amount to be determined.

He would also be required to participate in a victim-offender dialogue with representatives of the Satanic Temple if requested. The court is not bound to follow the sentencing recommendation in the plea.

Cassidy also in the filing requests immediate sentencing and waives his right to address the court.

Defense attorney suggests Cassidy targeted for his religion

In an emailed statement, Cassidy's attorney Sara Pasquale said she was pleased with the resolution and suggested prosecutors may have been biased against her client.

"We have continually contested the hate crime and questioned whether Mr. Cassidy was being targeted due to his religious beliefs," she 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."

But Lynn Hicks, a spokesman for the Polk County Attorney's Office, said in a statement prosecutors stand by the decision to bring the hate crime charge, known in Iowa as a "crime in violation of individual rights."

"While we believe the defendant did commit a crime in violation of individual rights, the decision to allow the defendant to plead guilty to an aggravated misdemeanor took into consideration various factors we weigh when we make a plea offer. Factors can include but are not limited to: taking full accountability for the criminal conduct, cooperation with law enforcement, the availability of evidence, and the defendant’s lack of criminal history," said Hicks, who also noted the restitution and victim-offender dialogue provisions of the plea agreement.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Capitol Satanic Temple display vandalism suspect pleads guilty