Judge: Milwaukee man to face trial in racist acid attack

Updated 2:32 pm CST, Wednesday, January 29, 2020



Photo: Mike De Sisti, AP
FILE - in this Nov. 6, 2019, file photo, Clifton A. Blackwell, is led into a Milwaukee County Court in Milwaukee. Milwaukee prosecutors have enough evidence to try Blackwell, accused of throwing acid on a Latino man's face during a racist attack that's being prosecuted as a hate crime, a judge ruled Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 in Milwaukee. Prosecutors have charged Blackwell with first-degree reckless injury in the attack on Mahud Villalaz in November after accusing him of being in the country illegally and invading the United States. (Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via AP, File)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee prosecutors have enough evidence to try a 62-year-old white man accused of throwing acid on a Latino man's face during a racist attack that's being prosecuted as a hate crime, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Clifton Blackwell is charged with first-degree reckless injury. Prosecutors say he attacked Mahud Villalaz in Milwaukee in November after accusing him of being in the country illegally and invading the United States. Villalaz suffered second-degree burns.

. . .

If he's convicted on the reckless injury charge, Blackwell could face up to 25 years in prison. But designating the case as a hate crime and charging him with use of a deadly weapon could add sentence enhancers of 10 years more in prison.

Blackwell's lawyer asked for the case to be dismissed and that request was denied. Blackwell is due in court Feb. 3 to enter a plea.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Judge-Milwaukee-man-to-face-trial-in-racist-acid-15013991.php



Mahud Villalaz