Suspect in car attack faces new 1st-degree murder charge
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The Ohio man accused of driving a car into a crowd of people protesting a white nationalist rally this summer in Charlottesville had his most serious charge upgraded to first-degree murder Thursday.
James Alex Fields appeared in court for a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors said they had filed a motion earlier in the day seeking to amend the second-degree murder charge he had previously faced.
Charlottesville General District Judge Robert Downer Jr. certified the first-degree murder charge and all others against Fields. The case will now be presented to a grand jury for an indictment.