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“First and foremost I would like to start off with an apology from deep down,” he said. “This attack did not only affect [White] but was also taken as an attack on the gay community.”
Moragne said he could change if given another chance.
“I truly believe that I can become a productive member of society. I am actively pursuing change in my life,” he said. “We made a mistake. I don’t hate nobody. I’ve got gay family.”And....
But Banks challenged Moragne on the sincerity of his apology and his refusal to admit that he’s a gang member. Moragne nearly derailed his plea agreement during a hearing in May when he balked at admitting to a felony count of solicitation of gang activity.
“I didn’t want to plead guilty to the gang member because I am not a gang member. I plead guilty because I didn’t want to take it to trial. I am not in no gang. I am not a Blood or Crip. I am from Florida,” Moragne said Thursday.
“This ain’t what y’all portraying it to be. This ain’t California. We don’t have a history of beating up gay people. All of this stuff you are putting on the media to say we beat gay people so you can pass a law,” he added.
Moragne continued by attempting to undercut the seriousness of the attack: “I barely hit him. I was wrong for hitting him but I didn’t hit him to the point of killing him. I was just being young and dumb.”Dorian the other men faces up to 75 years in prison if convicted
Banks retorted by asking Moragne if he threw a tire on White.
“Next question please,” Moragne retorted.
“Did you throw a tire on him?”
“Yes.”
Unioto High School student Levi Sever will appear later in juvenile court to answer to the charge filed by the office of Prosecutor Matthew Schmidt following an investigation by the sheriff's office. Schmidt was not available for comment this morning.
Sever is accused of assaulting 15-year-old Zachary Huston at the high school on Oct. 17, with the victim's mother contending he was targeted because he is gay. The case has captured national attention.
“A lot of people feel the outrage but don’t always know how to make their voices heard,” said Bret Thompson, a Columbus man leading an online petition drive in the wake of the attack.That petition has over 6,000 supporters, hoping to change the anti-bullying law to include LGBT people.
In the clip, which was filmed on a cell phone and then posted to Facebook, the attacker, who has not been named, can be seen waiting for the gay student, who wishes to remain anonymous, in a classroom.This is unacceptable! The student should be arrested and the school needs to act on the safety of gay students. It's such a shame this happening in the schools and no one jumped in to stop this! I have to ask... Is it getting better?
Once the student arrives, the bully begins severely beating "the holy living crap out of him," says his mother.
Even though the boy tried to get away and asked "Why are you doing this?" the attack continued.
WSYX reports the student received a possible concussion and a chipped tooth.
The student also says that the perpetrator wrote "Check out the definition of a faggot" on his Facebook page two days earlier.
The attacker received three days suspension, but the mother of the gay student says that is not good enough and she is going to file charges.
She added, "For all those people that have hate in their hearts, they need to let it go because people are going to be who they are".
Teonna Monae Brown, 19, pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of first-degree assault and one hate crime count in the April attack on Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, which became a rallying point for transgender-rights advocates across the state and nationwide.Sad it had to go down like that
Prosecutors will seek a prison sentence for Brown of 10 years with five years suspended, said Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger. The combined maximum sentence for the crimes is 35 years.
Bridges McRae was convicted of violating the rights of Duana Johnson while the transgender woman awaited booking on charges of prostitution. McRae admitted to unjustifiably striking her numerous times at the Criminal Justice Complex.Duana was murdered after this incident. Her death remains unsolved. More on her story here
McRae also pled guilty to tax evasion, admitting that he claimed 99 dependents on his W-4 form to keep the City of Memphis from withholding federal taxes and then intentionally not filing a tax return.
Teonna Brown, 18, was indicted Monday on assault and hate crime charges in the attack on Chrissy Lee Polis at the restaurant last month. She is also charged with assaulting a customer and a McDonald’s employee who tried to intervene. A 14-year-old girl is facing the same charges in juvenile court. The Associated Press typically does not identify juveniles charged with crimes.While some thinks the jail time is justice, others think counseling and anger management will help the girls stay away from future trouble.
Both teenagers are being held, prosecutors said no one else would be charged.
Brown was defending herself and maintains her innocence, according to attorney Timothy P. Knepp. He declined to go into further detail.
“She’s a very nice young lady who lives with her mom and is not the person the press has made her out to be,” Knepp said.
A videotape of the April 18 beating showed a woman being attacked repeatedly while an employee and customer try to stop them, and the woman apparently having a seizure.
El Paso police officers said an investigation revealed the victim was waiting for a ride outside the Old Plantation Night Club on 301 South Ochoa Street when he was attacked around 12:20 a.m. Saturday.The young man is in critical condition.
Police said the victim, only described as a 22-year-old Hispanic man, was involved in a verbal confrontation with six other men.
The fight escalated to punching and kicking and police said one of the six men even used a bat to hit the victim.
A friend of the victim tried to intervene, but was stopped by one of the six men when he struck her Jeep with a bat and damaged the windshield, according to police.
Calvin Pietri, 17, of Woodhaven, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with manslaughter in the weekend beatdown of Anthony Collao, 18.I tried to find Calvin's FB, but the statement(s) were removed. I'm hoping to see the statements for myself. The other suspects, as you can see, are kids... Just kids. What is really going on when our kids are acting out this way and possibly ruining their lives forever? This is a lot to take in.
Police first busted him for a hate crime, but prosecutors later said the bias enhancement was still under review. Pietri was ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail after his arraignment Wednesday night.
The victim was chased from a birthday party in Woodhaven early Saturday. Police said the teen was stomped and beaten with a pipe. Collao, who hoped to one day work in the family ice cream business, died at Jamaica Hospital on Monday.
The other suspects - Alex Velez, 16, and Nolis Ogando, Christopher Lozada and Luis Tabales, all 17 - were arrested shortly after the incident and charged with manslaughter.
There's still hope in Texas.
Last year, Jimmy Dean was beaten badly by this dick drip, Bobby Singleton and some other cretin. Bobby and that guy left Jimmy with a broken back, facial disfigurement, no sense of smell and continuous daily pain.
However, in court yesterday, a jury sentenced Bobby 75 years in prison and his sidekick also received time. While the verdict was read, Bobby showed no emotional reaction at all.
But he will soon... In prison.
Okay, enough of my "meanness"... Jimmy was somewhat shocked...
Dean said afterward that he was overwhelmed by the jury's decision. He said he thought there might only be one juror who thought Singleton should get the 60 years prosecutors requested for aggravated robbery.
"I think it shows the jury does understand," Dean said. "It makes the next two people who go into any neighborhood, and pick out anyone, think twice."
He also said the verdict gives him "faith in people" and said the days are gone when criminals received a lesser sentence because the victim is gay.
"This sets a precedence for anything like this that happens," Dean said. "Maybe this will set a standard for anybody, no matter what your sexual orientation is, a violent crime is a violent crime."
That's so true, Jimmy.
