10/17/2007
Grand Jury: No Criminal Charges in Rochester Gay Bashing
A grand jury has decided to file no criminal charges in a gay bashing incident in June in Rochester, New York, in which two groups of people were assaulted in attacks that took place separately. A total of eight people were attacked, beaten, kicked, and hit with a metal pipe according to reports.
Instead of arresting the gay bashers, police arrested the victims, even calling one of them a "drunken dyke." The victims have filed a civil rights lawsuit. In September, a civilian panel looking into those charges found them legitimate.
The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reports that the grand jury found "insufficient evidence" that criminal acts were committed:
"Although three people in the two groups who were allegedly attacked were charged with non-criminal charges of disorderly conduct following a confrontation with police after the incident, no other charges have been filed against anyone involved, including the alleged victims, the alleged attackers, or police officers. 'I can’t get into what happened in the grand jury room, but what I can say is that the grand jury considered the entire incident and all of the relevant facts and circumstances concerning that incident, and based on that review, they made the determination that there was no basis for any additional charges,' Green said. Aside from the pending disorderly conduct charges being heard in City Court, the criminal case is closed, Green said."
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Posted 4:13 PM EST by Andy in Crime, New York, News | Permalink
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So this is JUSTICE in America? The people who were attacked are arrested and the attackers go free to hurt again?
Posted by: Mark | Oct 17, 2007 4:25:44 PM
sounds like rochester is a good place to avoid!
Posted by: carter | Oct 17, 2007 5:06:17 PM
If you haven't noticed. there IS NO Justice in America unless you are a middle class or rich right wing breeder.
Posted by: Wolf | Oct 17, 2007 5:07:07 PM
One wonders if the gay community must do what the African American community is trying to do.
Start highlighting that all heterosexual juries can not and will not deliver justice for us.
"...a jury of one's peers..."
A whole jury of heterosexuals is not one's peers just as an all white jury is not a jury of peers for African Americans.
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Oct 17, 2007 5:18:19 PM
Let me reword that. How can an all heterosxual jury possibly sit in judgment of homophobic actions of police?
Just as a recent case in Florida showed where an all white jury allowed the guards at a boot camp for minors get off scot free after killing a 14 year old black boy.
Posted by: jimmyboyo | Oct 17, 2007 5:23:26 PM
what ever happen to being judged by a jury of your peers? instead we have the american Inquisition.
Posted by: vinny | Oct 17, 2007 6:22:46 PM
Jimmyboyo is absolutely right. We should launch lawsuits and insure that we’re in the jury box when these cases come to court. Our biggest problem is that usually these incidents go by without picket lines, demonstrations, press conferences. Often no law suits are filed.
Every year about twenty of us are lynched or murdered and about 2000 are beaten. And uncounted incidents of harassment take place, many aimed at the youngest GLBT folk in middle schools and high schools.
We OWN the moral high ground on these issues. Matthew Sheppard and Shakia Gunn and uncounted other victims paid a blood price for it.
We need to take the offensive on the issue of violence and duplicate the brilliant work of the Southern Poverty Law Center who convincingly broke the back of the KKK. Look at their site at www.splcenter.org or contact www.lambdalegal.org, www.nclrights.org or www.aclu.org. And toss a few bucks there way while you’re at it.
We can use the same strategy against our tormenters, whether they’re street thugs, elected and appointed government figures, superstitious shysters, or cops. Actually, we have no choice, we have to go after them.
Posted by: Bill Perdue, RainbowRED | Oct 17, 2007 10:39:14 PM
You can beat, maim or kill a gay person in this alleged democracy and fear nothing in the form of justice from the legal system. These prosecutors are as bad as the gay bashers themselves. And, why in the heck did this go to a Grand Jury, with the narrow minded people that sit on those?
Posted by: Sebastian | Oct 18, 2007 10:49:19 AM
Wait, I don't get it. How the hell can this happen? People are savagely beaten, and no criminal charges are pending at all?!? What country are we in? Why aren't we taking this to the streets?
An absolute raping of justice.
Posted by: Pissed | Oct 18, 2007 2:48:26 PM
Drunken Dyke. That shit's funny. That being said, let's start a revolution. Make the homophobes pay.
Posted by: Jon | Oct 18, 2007 3:03:24 PM
I've written a pissed off letter to the Monroe County D.A., and I suggest everyone do the same. Just two sentences about how this miscarriage of justice can NOT go unchecked.
No matter where you live, please, please make your voice heard.
Write to: districtattorney@monroecounty.gov
His name is Michael Green.
Thanks.
Posted by: JeffRob | Oct 18, 2007 3:53:50 PM
disgusting!!!! too much of this is happening ,here too in australia...we think that weve hit the big 21 st century..we have gays on you tube..gay themed sitcoms...out there people like jeffree star and so on so forth..bars suanas... parades.mardi gras....th eface of gay liberation is just that..a farce....i say...revolution...we must stop this injustice...instead most of the gay world is happy to have all the benefits and not work for any real change!! i sometimes despair at the world right now.....
Posted by: paul | Oct 19, 2007 9:08:18 AM