Man Charged in Politicized Hate Crime Pleads Not Guilty

PORTLAND, Maine - A man charged with assault in an incident in Portland that police say is a hate crime has pleaded not guilty.
 
Twenty-year-old Jamie Hoffman appeared in court on Monday to respond to two counts of assault and a charge of interfering with constitutional rights. He is charged with making racial slurs and assaulting students outside Casco Bay High School last month.
 
Hoffman's lawyer says part of the case involves Hoffman's right to free speech.
 
The Portland Press Herald reports that police are still investigating an allegation that Hoffman brandished a screwdriver as a weapon. He could face more charges.
 
The incident touched off a row between school Superintendent Xavier Botana and the Maine Republican Party, which says that Botana politicized the assault by encouraging student demonstrations. Botana has dismissed that accusation.