View full sizeDelane BellBAY CITY, MI — A Bangor Township man who assaulted two men because he thought they were Muslims and was then ordered to write a report on the cultural contributions of Islam has a new assignment before him — to write a report on the history of Hinduism.
Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran on Monday sentenced Delane D. Bell, 26, to two years of probation, with the condition that he pen a 10-page report on Hinduism, the world's third largest religion after Christianity and Islam, respectively.
Bell in March pleaded no contest to a two-year felony count of ethnic intimidation, stemming from an incident that occurred around 1:50 a.m. on Nov. 26. At that time, Bell was standing outside a Midland Street bar when he yelled "jihad" and "Osama bin Laden" at two men of Indian descent. He then punched one of the men and struck the other's car.
When Bell entered his plea, Sheeran ordered him to write a 10-page report on “the greatest accomplishments of Muslims.”
“Well, do you have another report in you?” Sheeran asked a orange jumpsuit-clad Bell on Monday.
“If I have to do it, I’ll do it,” Bell replied.
“Do you know why I’ve assigned you these reports?”
“Not really.”
“You don’t have any idea at all?”
“I have an idea,” Bell demurely replied.
“You assaulted some people because you thought they were Muslims,” Sheeran prompted.
“That’s incorrect,” Bell stated. “I believe I’m innocent on that case. I had the wrong counsel at the time and followed my lawyer’s advice.”
The judge rephrased his statement to say that Bell had been convicted of attacking two men he wrongly assumed were Muslims. He added that the victims in the case were actually Hindus, a religion that, rather ironically, differs vastly from Islam in its beliefs.
“I want you to educate yourself on the accomplishments of their actual ethnic and religious backgrounds,” Sheeran told Bell, adding that he expects more from this report than what Bell rendered in his first paper.
“Do you know what plagiarism is?” Sheeran asked Bell.
“Yes, your honor,” Bell replied.
“It’s pretty much here in your first report,” the judge said, adding he’d like to see some more original thought in his report on the ancient Indian religion.
Bell’s report is due in one month to his probation officer.
Bell, while on bond on the ethnic intimidation charge, broke into his sister's Hampton Township apartment. When his sister attempted to call police, Bell knocked her to the floor, court records show.
In August, Bell pleaded guilty to a five-year felony charge of attempted home invasion.
Sheeran on Monday gave Bell credit for 155 days served and deferred an additional 210 days. The judge also ordered Bell to pay $125 in fines and costs.
Bell’s attorney, Edward M. Czuprynski, said his client is determined to turn his life around.
“He’s resolved … to stay away from alcohol and get a sober focus on life and not to do the nonsense he has been doing,” Czuprynski said. “I believe he’s genuine when he says he has remorse. I think he’s learned a good lesson from the time he’s been in jail.”
Bell said he has a job waiting for him and plans on attending school again in the near future.
“I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said. “I assure you you won’t see me in this courtroom again.”