U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate has granted another continuance in the trial of 19-year-old Stephen Spencer Pittman, moving the start date to Aug. 3, court documents show.
Pittman’s attorneys asked for more time to review discovery, and federal prosecutors did not object, the filings say. The trial had been scheduled for April 6, then was moved to June 1 before the latest delay, court records show.
Pittman is accused of setting fire to Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson in January, according to court documents. Flames caused significant damage to the synagogue’s library and administration building, and smoke and soot damage was evident in the main sanctuary, the filings and earlier reports say. Two handwritten Torah scrolls were destroyed and five others were damaged, while a Torah that survived the Holocaust was reported to be unscathed.
State and federal investigators arrested Pittman based on video evidence and a call from his father to the FBI in which the father said his son had confessed, court documents say. Pittman suffered severe burns in the incident, the filings state. A Hinds County grand jury indicted Pittman on a first-degree arson charge with a hate crime enhancement, and he also faces federal charges including arson, damage to religious property and using fire to commit a felony, court records show. Pittman has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody awaiting trial.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
