The following story, commencing this past October of 2006 in the city of Long Beach, California (about 30 miles south of where I live in Los Angeles), with a brutal, racially motivated beating and culminating with the severe travesty of justice that is the sentencing doled out to the perpetrators, is nothing short of shocking for a hate crime of this severity.
Last October 31, three black young women were viciously assaulted by nine trick-or-treating white teenage boys and girls. Prior to the ferocious onslaught, the nine assailants ridiculed the three black teenaged victims by hurling racial epithets, pumpkins, and various fruits at their prey. One white teen even was heard to yell, “I hate blacks!” After the aggressors could find no other vegetables to chuck at the targets, they then proceeded to beat the three black girls into another state of mind. The antagonists used their fists, their feet, and their skateboards during the attack, all while continuing their barrage of racist slurs and aspersions at their black female victims. One girl, with dozens of broken facial bones, nearly lost an eye in the attack. Now she must remain in an upright position for three months, not even allowed to recline in order to sleep at night.
While the trial ended in guilty verdicts for all nine villains, the sentences handed out by Judge Gibson Lee stupefied the victims, their families, the community and the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles–simple probation. The first conviction constituted a gross injustice as the young boy was handed a laughable sentence of 60 days, house arrest. For the remaining eight pugilists, much of the same–probationary house arrest. To call this an outrage is to put too light a word to it. This is an atrocity.
In the politically correct age in which we live, one might be stunned into wondered astonishment as to how such a travesty as this could come to pass–three young black women nearly beat to death by nine savage white teens.
How? Well, it did and it didn’t. Read the above story again, only this time, replace nine white teens with nine black teens, and three black girls with three white girls. Do you have more clarity now? Do you know why the judge gave such lenient sentences to the offenders? If you do, explain it to me because I still do not understand.
Halloween beating victims, left to right, Lura Schneider, Michelle Smith and Loren Hyman speak to media outside a Long Beach, Calif., courthouse Wednesday Jan. 31, 2007. The three young women were in court Wednesday to give ‘victim impact statements’ to the judge who last week convicted their attackers. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) ,
4 Halloween defendants given house arrest, probation
Victim’s attorney disagrees with sentence
They faced sentences ranging from probation to time in the California Youth Authority, although most involved in juvenile law agree the disposition will be geared more toward rehabilitation than punishment.
Doug Otto, attorney for the three victims, said he disagreed with Judge Gibson Lee’s verdict.
“The judge said he felt bound by case law and statutes to impose the least restrictive sentence,” Otto said after coming out of the courthouse. Otto said Laura, the woman who said she was knocked unconscious by the boy, was particularly upset by the sentencing.
“We disagree strongly, but we respect the law,” Otto said. “This doesn’t feel like justice.”
All nine defendants, eight girls and one boy ages 13 to 18, were convicted of felony assault last week. A girl, 12, was acquitted.
Lee had scheduled the nine convicted teens’ sentencing, or disposition as it is called in juvenile court, over three days, with four Friday, another four on Tuesday and the final youth on Wednesday.
A hate-crime allegation was found to be true in eight of the cases, and an allegation that gross bodily injury was personally inflicted by the accused was found to be true for six of the convicted teens.
In the attack, a group of 20 to 40 black youngsters surrounded and beat the women to the ground as trick-or-treaters gathered in a Bixby Knolls neighborhood.
The hate-crime allegations stemmed from witness reports that several in the group yelled racial slurs during the assault, which occurred at about 9 p.m. Halloween in the 3800 block of Linden Avenue.
The youngest minor, a 12-year-old girl, was acquitted of the charge.
The Press-Telegram has chosen not to identify by name the victims, accused minors or witnesses in the case out of concern for their safety.
Cherrale, the mother of three teens convicted in the Bixby Knolls beating, smiles as she leaves the Long Beach Courthouse on Friday. The Press-Telegram has withheld the names of the convicted teens and their family members because the case has been heard in juvenile court. (Jeff Gritchen / Press-Telegram)
Four more get probation in beating
Youths’ sentences similar to those handed down to others last week.
LONG BEACH – Four black female minors were sentenced to house arrest, probation and community service on Monday in the beatings of three white women on Halloween.One female defendant, a Cal State Long Beach student and the last of 10 tried in the case, will be sentenced today. Four others received similar sentences Jan. 26, while one, a 12-year-old girl, was acquitted.
A representative of several of the defendants’ families said they will comment after the final sentence is handed down by Long Beach Superior Court Judge Gibson Lee.
District Attorney Andrea Bouas argued for stronger penalties in three of the four sentences on Monday.
The four were convicted Jan. 26 of felony assault on the three victims. A hate-crime enhancement was found true on all four sentenced Monday.
However, Lee handed out the same sentences he had on Friday to four other teens: probation, 60 days of house arrest, 250 hours of community service and classes on anger management and racial tolerance.
Before Lee handed down his sentences to a 13-year-old, two 14-year-olds and a 17-year-old, Bouas recommended that three of the defendants be sentenced to time in California Youth Authority camps.
Bouas said about two defendants, a 17-year-old and her younger sister, that the older had a history of “acting out” and the other may have gang affiliations and a propensity for violence.
Bouas said the 17-year-old, an internationally ranked track athlete, had “a gift” athletically but apparently didn’t appreciate it.
“Why would she risk her gift?” Bouas asked. “Maybe she didn’t value what she has. Sometimes when you have success you don’t recognize the value. Maybe this is the best thing that could have happened to her.”
Bouas also noted the older sister had been struggling academically with a 1.92 grade point average, not including athletics.
“The last chance for her is camp, to get her on track,” Bouas said. “She needs intervention.”
The deputy district attorney also asked the 17-year-old be barred from receiving a driver’s license until she is 21, noting a history of citations for driving without a license, including on the night of the assault.
Bouas said the younger sister showed a “frightening propensity for violence.” Bouas said even when a Good Samaritan intervened, it was the younger sister who continued to kick and seemed prepared to attack the physically imposing Good Samaritan.
Bouas also talked about a MySpace Web page that showed the girl and her 7-year-old brother flashing what she said were gang signs.
Attorney Marc Rothenberg quickly contested the assertion that the hand signals were gang-related, insisting it was merely a “thumbs up.”
“I hope I don’t get shot for giving someone a thumbs up,” Rothenberg said, eliciting laughter from the court audience.
Bouas said the younger sister “has a gift but flirts with danger” and worried the younger brother would be “contaminated” by his older sibling.
Lee, addressing gang affiliations, warned the teens: “A word to the wise. Gang activity while on probation is a straight ticket to CYA.”
Much of the information Bouas related was disallowed from the court case, but was permissible during sentencing.
Lee ruled that the court lacked power to impose the license restriction but said that the Department of Motor Vehicles would be advised.
Like the four teens sentenced Friday – an 18-year-old male, his twin sister, 16-year-old younger sister and his 16-year-old girlfriend – the defendants Monday were ordered to pay restitution.
The Press-Telegram does not identify the victims and their families out of concern for their safety and has withheld the names of the convicted teens because the case has been heard in juvenile court.
The nine defendants were convicted Jan. 26 of felony assault on the three victims, who were taunted with racial slurs and pelted with fruit and pumpkins before being beaten to the ground by a mob of youths trick-or-treating on the 3800 block of Linden Avenue.
The 18-year-old twins and their 16-year-old friend sentenced Friday were also found guilty of the special circumstances of hate crime and the personal infliction of gross bodily injury.
While on probation, the teens cannot leave their homes between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. During house arrest, they cannot leave for anything other than school, not even track practice. All four are competitive athletes.
They cannot contact the victims or associate with known gang members and are barred from socializing with their fellow convicted friends – although Lee noted the teens who are related obviously will have contact.
Probation can be until a minor is 21, authorities said, although it rarely lasts that long if the youths abide by the court’s restrictions and stay out of trouble.
After Lee handed down his rulings, parents of the defendants quietly gathered in a hallway outside the courtroom and signed papers to secure the release of their children. One hopeful adult had two paper lunch sacks with the names of two of the girls scribbled on the sides.
While a contingent of media waited for the families of the defendants at the front of the courthouse, the families left via a side door.
Halloween beating victim Laura Schneider reacts while speaking to media outside a Long Beach, Calif., courthouse Wednesday Jan. 31, 2007. Schneider, Michelle Smith and Loren Hyman were in court Wednesday to give ‘victim impact statements’ to the judge who last week convicted their attackers. Behind Schneider are unidentified family members. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
I am as perplexed by the outcome of the first Bixby Knolls/Halloween Evening Beatings Trial as you are. The second trial of the two boys who were arrested after the first group of accused is still to come with Judge Lee this time opting out as Judge stating as the reason that he is too biased from serving on the last trial. The young women who were victimized must be feeling very misused and misunderstood by the justice system which was not there for them at least not so far. The worst part is the youths who were found guilty have not apologized for their crimes and it appears do not “cop” to the fact (no pun intended) that they even committed any crimes and their parents for the most part seem to agree and support a weird array of rationalizations. these are not direct quotes only a concoctin of what I have heard “they were innocent, the white girls started it, the police and the law had it in for our children,our children have suffered enough and so it goes. I find the latter machinations the saddest part of all of this.
Sharon Raphael, Long Beach
I am adding my blog website to last comment.
Sharon Raphael
http://www.leftturnonright@blogspot.com
sorry here it is.
Sharon
I’m actually distraught over the way judge has handled this, and how he plans to escape it, but just for personal correction, I do believe it was three young caucasian girls that were beat up by a group of african-americans. In the first article I seem to have noted the author wrote it the other way around.
Serena,
Thanks for coming by and commenting. Actually, you’re right. It was three white girls who were severely beaten by a group of black youths. I wrote the introductory piece that way intentionally to demonstrate how liberal justice system failed the three young girls. From the last paragraph…
“…replace nine white teens with nine black teens, and three black girls with three white girls.”
[...] Hecubus has a similar analysis,2 and writes: Do you know why the judge gave such lenient sentences to the offenders? If you do, explain it to me because I still do not understand. [...]
Such an horrific attack, What worries me most about this type of story we’re thousands of miles apart and yet the very same things happen here in the UK,
Certain crimes get full press coverage the media go on and on for days sometimes years depending on the victims colour.
Recently two teenage girls were tortured, brutality beaten taken to a flat forced to take drugs, both girls were raped repeatedly, further tortured then driven to a park where further torture took place, both were told they were going to die their heads placed into pillow cases, through hours of torment which one can only imagine the fear of these two girls. both were shot in the head Ann Marie died one survived to later give her story.
The gang of young men were muslim and this story was hardly covered at all, when it did get a mention at trial the bbc could not bring themselves to read out all the names, except two that sounded normal British names, i actually emailed the bbc with the names of all the men.
This is a common occurance now in this country white folk are bad folk all others are good folk!
cultural marxism is alive and well in the west, teamed up with islamists in the red and black alliance.
Your blog is being emailed around the group here, let them all see that somehow we are in the same boat.
Our governments i fear are selling us out!
Londonistan by melanie phillips covers the reasons much of this is happening an excellent book.
George Orwells 1984 has arrived in England….i say England it has not reached the rest of the UK to the same extent yet.
God-Bless.
Gatesofvienna.
Veronica,
Thanks as always for coming by and offering your thoughts and stories, especially of the one you mentioned here.
It’s the double-standard of the white-man’s-burden concept. Interestingly, the original judge, Gibson Lee, who handed out the pathetic excuses for sentences initially, has remitted the last two young black men to a court in Compton, CA which is about 30 to 45 min. north of Long Beach, and about 20 min. SE of where I live in Los Angeles. If you know anything about the demographic of Compton, then you’ll see how this could turn into even more of a travesty.
But as you point out in your comment, this sort of thing is becoming more common place, even near accepted as the monster that is political correctness (the Neo-McCarthyism as I like to refer to it) continues unabated in our political leaders and our citizenry to everyone’s detriment.
Again, thanks for coming by. I’m always happy to hear from the Gates of Vienna folk. You guys do great work.
Hi there
As Veronica says we are witnessing gross anti White racism in the UK. It is clearly endemic across the whole of (what was) the white Western world and it has clearly been instigated and encouraged by the white liberal elite amongst us. The only explanation I can come up with is that whites are being undermined in preparation for global governance, starting with our hated and corrupt European Union and your equally as unpopular North American Alliance. What isn’t so clear is whether this is a communist aim – creating imaginary level playing fields with no borders – or whether it is for multinationals to further increase their profits. Maybe a bit of both. From our point of view it makes little difference for we are the losers and, ultimately, the whole of society will suffer because history shows how much progress has been made by whites, blacks and Arabs. Remove the first from the equation and what have you got?
I will add your blog to links on my website. Thank you for an interesting read.
website – http://www.ActioninEngland.GB.com
please visit
Excuse me – I must have missed something. The men involved in the horrible attack in Britian which a couple of posters have mentioned were NOT Muslim. They were black, from West Indian backgrounds.
I can only imagine that the posters desire to attribute every act of barbarism to Moslems momentarily confused them
http://www.plmleaders.com/AnselmAlert.htm
To see the backlash from the black community at that idiot Imus compared to this???? Are you kidding me, this is ridiculous. Sad state of affairs for the black community if this is the norm and not an exception.
I grew up in the house in which this beating occured, it was a great neighbor hood and really fun halloween.
I went through an legal case while working as a security guard for a striking a black man with a knife stalking on the property I worked, he had threaten to kill women and had a restraing order. The police and prosecution hid this, saying he was working on his daughter’s.
Our own is our are worse enemy