Jordan Gruver, of Panamanian and native-American descent, was severely beaten in a case of mistaken identity in July, 2006. The Imperial Klans of America, a Ku Klux Klan group, mistook Jordan Gruver for an illegal Latino immigrant. The Southern Poverty Law Center has helped Jordan Gruver sue The Imperial Klans of American.

The case went to trial and the jury has given their verdict. Jordan Gruver was awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages against the “Imperial Wizard” of the The Imperial Klans of American, Ron Edwards. The lawsuit was initiated in 2007. Jordan Gruver was assisted by the Southern Poverty Law Center to file the personal injury lawsuit. The white jury of 7 men and 7 women deliberated for 5 hours after 3 days of testimony.

Jordan Gruver was beaten up at a county fair in Kentucky, where he lived. A police witness testified he saw one member of the The Imperial Klan use his boots with red shoe laces and steel toed front to assault Jordan Gruver. Skinheads were known to use the steel toed boots as a weapon of choice. Ron Edwards testified to that admission.

CNN has a long article on The Imperial Klans of America at the link.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, November 15th, 2008 at 6:35 am and is filed under News.