Man convicted in Virginia rally death in 2017 loses appeal

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Ohio man sent to prison for driving his car into a crowd of counterprotestors during a white nationalist rally in Virginia four years ago has lost his bid to appeal his conviction. The Court of Appeals of Virginia announced the opinion on Tuesday. James Alex Fields Jr. was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Heather Heyer, an anti-racism activist, and for several charges stemming from injuries to others in the attack. It occurred during a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017. Fields was sentenced to life plus 419 years.