Liberal media went on a frenzy this weekend reporting on a follow-up to the JD Hall situation. Back in 2022, JD Hall, the founder of Pulpit and Pen and Protestia, left the pastorate amid prescription Xanex dependency. JD Hall viewed himself as disqualified from preaching and resigned from that and discernment work as well.
Shortly after, JD Hall was accused of embezzling $90k from his church and mistreating his wife, among other things. And while the domestic allegations have largely gone away, JD Hall faced a felony embezzlement charge. The result of this charge was a plea deal where JD Hall pled nolo contendere or no content.
THEFT BY EMBEZZLEMENT-EXCEEDING $10,000.00 – 1 ST OFFENSE, a felony, in violation of Section 45-6-301, M.C.A. It Is Hereby FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED for the offense of Theft by Embezzlement – Exceeding $10,000.00 – 1 st offense, a felony, imposition of sentence is deferred for a period of three years subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth. The Defendant shall pay restitution to the Fellowship Baptist Church in the amount of $15,454.44. The Defendant shall issue a public apology, in letter form, to the Fellowship Baptist Church and congregation. While he will not receive credit at this stage of the proceedings, it is noted that the Defendant spent 6 days in jail.
According to Protestia, the reasoning behind Hall taking this plea deal was as follows (emphasis theirs):
JD Hall was not determined to be guilty based on a trial. He was not determined to be guilty based on available evidence. Rather, his “guilty” status is part of a plea bargain process and a legal compromise known as an Order Deferring Imposition of Sentence. The purpose of this legal compromise is found in Montana Code Annotated (MCA) 46-18-201, which allows a defendant to plead guilty or no contest, the judge to technically find a defendant guilty, yet defer imposition of the sentence (maximum of three years for a felony charge). In doing so, the judge initiates a process (see MCA 46-18-204) that requires the court to strike (remove) the defendant’s plea, dismiss the charges entirely, and remove all information related to the charge from the public record. In other words, the case is entirely dismissed.
Additionally, a defendant complying with the requirements of this process is entitled to file a motion to terminate the remaining portion of the deferment upon half of the time being served in compliance (See MCA 46-18-208) – meaning someone in Hall’s situation can move to have his plea stricken and charges dismissed in 18 months.
In other words, JD Hall has not pleaded guilty or apologized for stealing anything, and in a year and a half, he will have full legal exoneration to match what the available evidence clearly demonstrates.
Protestia would maintain JD Hall’s innocence in the proceedings, arguing that this is the most cost-effective way to clear Hall’s name and record, although not the soonest.
Protestia published an interview with the former secretary of the church for JD Hall who maintained his innocence of the charges and claimed that they were filed in bad faith. Whereas the $90k was quickly reduced to $15454.44 is seen in the charging documents. A number of the questionable spending are items in the church’s budget and travel expenses. An example is when JD Hall traveled to North Dakota to visit his secretary’s daughter in the hospital. Hall used church funds, yet this pastoral duty of visiting the sick was considered embezzlement.
Protestia is adamant that the charges would not have stuck in trial, but that a trial would have cost tens of thousands more than the restitution.
Nevertheless, it was a feast for crows. Julie Roys published, Protestia Founder J.D. Hall Convicted of Embezzlement, Ordered to Pay Church $15K. The gay-affirming Chruch Leaders published, Protestia Founder JD Hall Guilty of Felony Embezzlement, Must Repay Former Church $15k. The enemies of discernment laud the story, that if they had no personal investment, they would not have reported.
It was a bold legal strategy for JD Hall, but time will tell if it pays off for him.
One Response
Thank you. Jordan’s mom.