July 23, 2008
A jury in San Francisco convicted Eric Hunt, 24, of felony false imprisonment as a hate crime, misdemeanor battery, and misdemeanor elder abuse for his attack against noted author, Holocaust survivor, and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel.
The jury found Hunt, a resident of Sussex County, New Jersey, guilty on July 21, 2008, after hearing two weeks of testimony, including Wiesel's account of the attack and details regarding Hunt's mental health and Holocaust denial beliefs.
On February 1, 2007, Hunt grabbed Wiesel in an elevator at a San Francisco hotel at which Wiesel was staying. Hunt forced Wiesel out onto the sixth floor, but fled after Wiesel called for help.
Hunt's defense counsel admitted that Hunt had followed Wiesel on his speaking tour across the country, but claimed it was due to his alleged bi-polar disorder.
Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18, 2008. He faces up to three years in prison.