A pair of neo-Nazis accused of violating the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act say they are unable to find any lawyers from the local area willing to represent them, reported WMUR on Wednesday.
The men hung a banner from a highway overpass in Portsmouth saying "Keep New England White," according to prosecutors.
"The attorney general's office said Christopher Hood, Leo Cullinan and the neo-Nazi group Nationalist Social Club 131 violated the state's Civil Rights Act when the banner was hung from the overpass in July," reported Hannah Cotter. "Hood and Cullinan are accused of trespassing, but the two argued in court filings that they were exercising their right to free speech. 'You can stand on the sidewalk, but what happened was they affixed the signs and banners to the fencing over the bridge, and that's where the trespass arose,' said Assistant Attorney General Sean Locke. 'You're not allowed to do that without either permitting from the state or the city.'"
A state judge has told Hood and Cullinan that they must find local attorneys for their case. However, they told the court they would prefer to hire out-of-state counsel, in large part because they can't find any local attorneys willing to take them on as clients. "We've been looking, and nobody will represent," said Cullinan.
This is not the only such incident. Neo-Nazis have been ramping up efforts around the country to advertise their cause and recruit, with many dropping racist fliers around neighborhoods from Massachusetts to Texas.
Another overpass banner incident happened last year in Orlando, Florida. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned the display, calling the neo-Nazi group responsible "jackasses," but also accused Democrats of milking the incident to make him look bad.
