http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/94496.aspx LONG BEACH - Three words helped elevate a brutal assault to a hate crime in the eyes of a judge: "I hate whites." The shout and ensuing attack on three white women by a group of African-American youths last Halloween led Friday to the conviction of nine of 10 defendants - including eight girls - in a racially charged assault trial in juvenile court. Judge Gibson Lee also found hate-crime enhancements against eight defendants to be true, along with enhancements of causing great bodily injury against six. A 12-year-old girl was acquitted. Defendants hugged before the verdicts were read and some cried afterward. About 100 people gathered outside the courthouse to learn the verdicts, then dispersed. Angry black community leaders criticized the decision while prosecutors sought to focus attention on the young women who were beaten. Police officers patrolling the city were instructed to be on alert throughout the weekend for possible protests in reaction to the verdicts, said Officer Jackie Bezart. "Today's not a happy day," said Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Brian Schirn. "The victims still have to undergo physical treatment, emotional treatment." Mark Crouch, 43, of Florida, whose 14-year-old daughter was convicted, said he wasn't angry and believed his daughter has shown compassion to the victims. But he disagreed with the hate-crime finding. "It's not right to say she doesn't like white people," he said. "All we can do now is move on." Defense attorney Frank Williams, who represented a 17-year-old girl who was convicted, said he was "disheartened" and "puzzled" by the verdict. "It's almost like someone died," Williams said. "Nine spirits did die." A representative of the beaten women, Douglas Otto, said they feel vindicated by the verdict and hope the defendants will "admit their wrongdoing and let the healing begin." Otto also said the women's lives have been irreparably damaged. Lee scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to hear victim impact statements and set a sentencing date. The youths could receive sentences ranging from probation to confinement in the California Youth Authority until they reach age 25. The defendants ranged in age from 12 to 18. Two who were minors at the time turned 18 since the incident. All were charged with felony assault by any means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. Two 15-year-old boys face trial later on charges of felony assault with the hate-crime enhancement. As in all juvenile trials, a judge decided the case rather than a jury. The attack occurred in an upscale area of the city known for its elaborate Halloween decorations. Long Beach is a major U.S. cargo port with a racially diverse population of 475,000 and neighborhoods ranging from high-end shoreline condos to low-income urban areas. Prosecutors said the confrontation began when a crowd of black youths threw objects at the three women, two who were 19 and one who was 21. Some hurled racial insults at the women and one was heard shouting "I hate whites," authorities said. A group then attacked the victims, knocking them to the ground. The beating only ceased when a black man driving by stopped, pulled the assailants away and shielded the women with his body, prosecutors said. Deputy District Attorney Andrea Bouas called the incident a "mauling" and discounted testimony that it was more of a fight than an attack. Prosecutors relied mainly on witnesses who said they saw some or all of the beating. Other evidence included a victim's cell phone found in a defendant's car and blood found on a defendant's pants. But the judge barred DNA evidence the prosecution said proved the blood was from one victim, citing time constraints in the trial. Defense attorneys tried to discredit a key prosecution witnesses, saying it was too dark and she was too far away to see who the assailants were. They also deemed a police identification procedure "tainted" because the victims and witnesses weren't asked to describe the attackers until they were shown the 10 suspects. Only one of the victims testified. Loren Hymon - who suffered multiple fractures to her face - said earrings and hairstyles helped her identify four assailants. The male defendant testified that he didn't hit any of the women. The trial at one point was overshadowed by suspected witness intimidation. A prosecution witness was put under police escort after she awoke to find six men sitting on her car. Her vehicle was later rammed by someone as she spoke in court, which led the judge to allow witnesses to testify anonymously. Lee later reversed his decision.
I think those black guys are getting inspiration from Salman Rushdie´s "Satanic Verses". "WHITE WOMEN - NEVER MIND FAT, JEWISH, NON-DEFERENTIAL WHITE WOMEN - WERE FOR FU**ING AND THROWING OVER. "(PAGE 261, Satanic Verses) This may be a 'good news' for those Westerners/Europeans defending Rushdie? Or time to rethink ? Its written; "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20 Ishaq.
'Hate crimes' actually are more often black on white than white on black; but personally I view a crime as just a crime. 'Hate crime' is just some BS way of moralizing government.
I disagree Rick. There has always been a double standard, historically well-earned, since America began coming to its senses about race in the sixties. That being said, it hurts the black community to allow this to continue. Hate is hate. It cannot be tolerated in any color. I praise the Lord for the one man who seemed to understand this: the man who rescued these women.
Don't you in some sense worry that America will end-up like Britain, where the pc views will be overextended? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=410150&in_page_id=1770 Violence is never a good thing, and barring that, I think non-violent hatred or racism isn't something you can forcefully snuff-out. Sure our public schools can intergrate, but I have no personal desire to overextended that into moralizing laws ie a person being arrested for racist comments. The freedom in America, imo, actually helps to octracize those whom are super racist. And if we get into trying to dictate the inner-beliefs of people (via government), we're heading down a scetchy path. I guess that comes to my view that government should operate on practicality and vague moral judgement...not just moral judgement. But I'm assuming you think otherwise.
No, I am not worried about that, Rick. I've lived and worked in inner city environments for too long to think some common sense and equal application could possibly swing that far. And though one couldn't hope that racism could be "snuffed out" it certainly can be "taught out" by shining the light of day on those dark back alleys of the human spirit where ignorance and intolerance, unchecked, can reign supreme. The change comes one generation at a time, and only with effort. Where one generation was no longer allowed to call someone a vile name, a new generation comes along and no longer thinks of their fellow man as such. One generation at a time... I am old enough to be able to say I truly see the difference now, more and more, in the youth of today from the hatred and mistrust of my day. And Amen to that!
Racism is a very complicated subject and there is no easy way to resolve this issue. I can understand both sides of the story but speaking as a European I know racism in Europe is only going to increase. The reason for this is that our governments haven’t taken the necessary measures to insure that a fair and just solution was reached about emigration. Many Europeans feel that immigrants have more rights than they have and are protected by law to an extent that there is no solution except racism.
10 against 3? It wasn't even a "fair" fight if there is such a thing as "fair fight". People (no matter the color) who are cruel and merciless to others should not have the right to walk freely on streets and hurt others. This, should be applied to all, no matter the public status they have. Why should the black community defend those criminals? It is not morally right to do so. Criminals are criminals and they will hurt anyone for their selfish interests.
Well coming from South Africa, it's actually pretty bad to see something like this. Over here similar crimes happen often, but it's never made out as a racism related event. The general belief seems to be that racism works only one way... whites against blacks. Blacks apparently can't be racist. Or at least that looks like being the case.
I think you mean Zulus, that’s the largest tribe in South Africa followed by Xhosa, Basotho (South Sotho), Bapedi (North Sotho), Venda, Tswana, Tsonga, Swazi and Ndebele. No Tutsis here
No, I meant the Tutsis of Rwanda who were slaughtered by their black fellow citizens the Hutus. We were speaking of race, yes? Not geographical boundaries.
There are times that I wonder why racism really exists, and then I read things such as this...it makes me sick.
*slowly raises an eyebrow* If 'hate crimes' are a part of the law, it should be applied equally to all groups. However if someone said "I hate nerds" or "I hate jocks" before they and their friends ganged up on a member of one of those groups, I doubt a 'hate crimes' charge would be added. As for the PC stuff going on in Europe... I have long said that PC no longer stands for politically correct, and currently stands for "political crap" and this reinforces my opinion on this subject. As for Tutsies/Hutus, these groupings were artifically set up by the British when they occupied Rwanda.