U.S. v. William A. White

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Not long after the home of a civil rights activist was firebombed in Canada, William A. White logged on to his computer and entered the fray.

"Good," White wrote in an Internet chat room for white supremacists. "Now somebody do it to Warman."

The person to whom White was referring, human rights lawyer Richard Warman of Ottawa, Ontario, testified Tuesday that he was terrified by that and other posts, which listed his home telephone number and address.

"This is publishing a call for my murder, and by extension the murder of my family, to the world," Warman told a federal jury as the trial for White -- the self-proclaimed commander of a Roanoke based neo-Nazi group -- entered its fifth day.

The government alleges that White threatened Warman and a half-dozen other people across the country. The vitriolic Internet commentator maintains he stopped just short of the fine line that separates free speech from direct threats.

Warman, the only lawyer among the alleged victims, said his fear stemmed from the larger context of White's actions: a neo-Nazi leader proclaiming "Kill Richard Warman" to an online audience of like-minded racists.

He compared White's use of incendiary words to pouring a large pool of gasoline and then tossing lit matches in its direction, "knowing eventually that he is going to set it on fire, and kill me, or someone else is going to do it."

The dispute between Warman and White began in 2006, when the human rights lawyer participated in efforts to shut down a Canadian-based Web site administered by White.

Likening White to a "pit bull on a bone," Warman testified that he was hounded online for years, with insults escalating to death threats. "Mr. White has done all he could to paint a nice, big, fat target on my forehead," he told the jury.

But in attempting to discredit Warman, White's attorneys pounced on a speech he made in 2005.

The attorney admitted on cross-examination that he told a conference of anti-racist activists that it was "fun" to bring legal action against white supremacists under Canada's human rights act. Warman also said that if he found someone "particularly annoying, I might move them up on the list a bit."

Warman described his comments as "two rather weak attempts at humor."

Defense attorney David Damico also questioned Warman about his practice of using false names to participate in online discussions among racists. Warman said he was trying to gather intelligence. But he admitted that a human rights commission in Canada once said the practice diminished his credibility.

Also testifying Tuesday was Charles Tyson, the former mayor of South Harrison Township in New Jersey. White contacted Tyson after the black mayor made news when racial slurs were spray-painted on a campaign sign in his yard.

"Unfortunately, the days when white men would simply burn the local newspaper and run n----r officials out with tar and feathers are past," White wrote in an e-mail that Tyson took as a threat. "However, your incidents give me hope that perhaps we shall see them again."

When testimony resumes today, prosecutors will be nearing the end of their case against White.

One of the more poignant moments Tuesday came when Warman described the actions he took in response to White's actions. He contacted police, moved so White would not know his whereabouts, even broke with family tradition by using his wife's maiden name when they had their first child.

"When my daughter was born," Warman began, his voice breaking. A long pause followed, with the witness holding his right hand up as if to get a grip on his emotions. Then he continued: "I was so concerned about her safety, that her last name is not mine."