Woman in 'gardening while black' case hires self-proclaimed alt-right lawyer

Deborah Nash is being represented by Kyle Bristow, who previously represented white supremacist Richard Spencer

Tom Perkinsin Detroit
Tue 16 Apr 2019 07.00 BST Last modified on Tue 16 Apr 2019 07.02 BST

A white Detroit woman being sued by a black man in a high-profile case for repeatedly fabricating charges against him to police has hired an attorney who previously represented white supremacist leaders like Richard Spencer.

The case, whose victim said he was merely guilty of “gardening while black”, generated headlines around the country as another example of black Americans encountering racism, and the attention of law enforcement, for simply carrying out everyday activities.

Deborah Nash is now being represented by Kyle Bristow, a self-proclaimed alt-right attorney who in 2018 brought legal challenges against universities that denied Spencer permission to speak on campus.

Nash is a defendant in the lawsuit because she and two other white women accused Marc Peeples, a black urban farmer, of brandishing a gun, participating in a drive-by shooting targeting one of their homes, and being a convicted pedophile. The final accusation led to Peeple’s arrest, though none of the accusations were true.

A judge tossed that criminal case in October, calling it “ridiculous” and “disgusting” while admonishing police and prosecution for moving forward with it.

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