Trial rescheduled for man charged with making racist threats

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Court officials say the upcoming trial of a white man charged with making racist threats against a black activist in Virginia has been postponed.

A federal judge on Thursday pushed back the trial date for Daniel McMahon of Brandon, Florida. The trial was originally scheduled to start Dec. 23 at the federal courthouse in Charlottesville, but the judge set a new trial date of June 15, 2020.

McMahon was charged in August with posting social media messages intended to intimidate activist Don Gathers and interfere with Gathers’ plans to run for a seat on Charlottesville’s city council. An indictment says McMahon expressed white supremacist views on his social media accounts.

McMahon, who remains in custody, pleaded not guilty to charges including bias-motivated interference with a candidate for elective office.