06/19/2008
Mistrial in Satendar Singh Anti-Gay Hate Crime Murder Trial
A mistrial has been declared in the anti-gay hate crime murder trial of 21-year-old Aleksandr Shevchenko, accused of killing Fijian-immigrant Satendar Singh at a lake outside Sacramento over the Independence Day holiday in 2007.
Shevchenko and another suspect, 29-year-old Andrey Vusik of West Sacramento, reportedly attacked Singh, 25, while he was picnicking with friends after taunting him over his race and sexuality. Friends claim Singh's attackers made racial and homophobic remarks to Singh before assaulting him with what some claim were a pair of brass knuckles. Singh fell to the ground bleeding and died four days later in the hospital. [Background]
The Sacramento Bee reports: "After more than four days of tense deliberations, the jury of seven women and five men could not agree on whether the defendant was involved in the confrontation because he believed Singh was gay. The panel emerged before noon and told Judge Gary S. Mullen that they were "irrevocably deadlocked" on the hate- crime allegation that Aleksandr Shevchenko, 22, faced for his role in last year's fight. The Sacramento man was found guilty on two misdemeanor counts: disturbing the peace and simple assault for throwing a bottle. He could face a maximum sentence of about nine months in jail when he returns to court on July 11. It remained unclear Wednesday whether the District Attorney's Office would re-try Shevchenko on the controversial hate-crime charge."
Seven jurors believe Shevchenko is guilty of the hate crime charge, five do not. More details from the Bee...
As in Stephen Moller's murder of Sean Kennedy in South Carolina, another killer is likely to get off easy.
Previously
One of Two Suspects Caught in Hate Crime Killing of Satendar Singh [tr]
Gay Immigrant Satendar Singh Killed in Holiday Hate Crime [tr]
Posted 11:15 AM EST by Andy in California, Crime, Gay Slurs, News, Sacramento | Permalink
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absolutely disgusting.
Posted by: Lito S. | Jun 19, 2008 11:19:00 AM
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!!
Posted by: soulbrotha | Jun 19, 2008 11:28:21 AM
Why is there no manslaughter charge, at least?
The guy died.
Posted by: Wes | Jun 19, 2008 11:38:50 AM
If this animal only gets 9 months in jail, it is my sincere and fervent hope that he is murdered in prison -- after being taunted and beat up.
Posted by: paulie | Jun 19, 2008 11:38:56 AM
Shevchenko helped clean up Sacramento by murdering a homosexual and a non-white one at that (BONUS POINTS!). In lieu of a key to the city and a day named his honor, Shevchenko's charges were reduced to misdemeanors; the best the court could offer given the circumstances and the homosexually-controlled liberal media.
Posted by: John in Manhattan | Jun 19, 2008 11:55:55 AM
The man was murdered with brass knuckles after racist and homophobic remarks were made within the hearing of several witnesses. It's a closed case.
WTF? Who are these five jurors?
Posted by: FASTLAD | Jun 19, 2008 11:57:24 AM
Gross. But I'm looking forward to seeing how this one plays out in the end. It isn't over yet.
Posted by: Chas | Jun 19, 2008 12:02:08 PM
Could someone explain to me if the hate crimes charge can only be used in lieu of a manslaughter charge? That is the reason he's not being convicted of any murder related charge due to the fact that they went for the hate crimes charge? It sounds like the jury's issue wasn't with whether he attacked the victim, but with his itentions. Just asking for clarification.
Posted by: wetcnt | Jun 19, 2008 12:12:10 PM
The lives of gay non-whites aren't worth shit.
This is war.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Jun 19, 2008 12:29:33 PM
Sacramento is full of homophobic dimwits...this Scuzchenko guy won't go free, not now. This definitely isn't over. He and his faux russian mafia pals have pink targets on their lowlife backs.
Posted by: deanB | Jun 19, 2008 12:33:06 PM
DAVID EHRENSTEIN, apparently the lives of gay whites aren't worth sh*t either. Remember that just last week a man in South Carolina got a net sentence of about a year and a half for killing a gay man while screaming anti-gay slurs at him. I think this is much more about the perceived sexual orientation of the victim than it is about his race. Regardless, this seems to be beoming more and more common. Something has GOT to be done about it.
I'd like to hear from some of the people who claim that hate crimes legislation gives gays "special" treatment. Strangely enough they never seem to comment about the "special" treatment that THIS victim or the one in South Carolina got.
Posted by: Zeke | Jun 19, 2008 12:45:00 PM
Though I hate to defend a guy who likely IS homophobic, he's not the one who punched Singh.
If you read the actual article, it says the following: "Shevchenko threw a bottle at members of Singh's party who were running after him after Singh was punched." That certainly sounds as if his motivation for the crime of throwing the bottle is not clear-cut hate.
So probably he was yelling slurs and yes, he didn't intervene to stop his friend Andrey Vusik from punching Singh. But only Vusik was charged with manslaughter. He fled the country for (possibly) Russia. He's the one to target.
Posted by: Kevinvt | Jun 19, 2008 12:52:39 PM
There is no manslaughter charge against Shevchenko because the other guy, Vusik, threw the punch. If you read the news article, it makes this important distinction clearer than this post does.
Posted by: calvin | Jun 19, 2008 12:58:24 PM
Which is bad reporting on Andy's part for not mentioning that in his post, frankly.
Getting gays riled up without all of the facts is just bad. Bad. I was ready to kill this guy but based on KevinVT's comment, it's clear he had no reason to be charged with manslaughter.
Posted by: Jeanluc | Jun 19, 2008 1:00:58 PM
JOHN IN MANHATTEN, are you for real?! Could you be Michael Savage in disguise?! You revolting evil bastard!
Posted by: nikko | Jun 19, 2008 3:44:02 PM
Over one hundred thousand Slavic immigrants have settled in California, most near Sacramento. Many of them belong to Slavic 'old believer' sects. Their churches are steeped in ‘old world’ fascism.
If you know what pogrom means then you know who these people are. They actively collaborated with the Nazi’s, joined the SS as auxiliaries and served as camp guards. They gleefully joined the Nazi’s wholesale murder of millions of Soviet POW’s.
In Sacramento they organize skinhead mobs to physically attack GLBT students at Day of Silence actions and used the same techniques to organize a mob of racist and homophobic thugs to murder Singh. Singh’s killer, Andrei Vusik, fled to Russia with the aid of his family and coreligionists and none of them have been charged for it aiding a fugitive. Aleksandr Shevchenko will probably walk away with a slap on the wrist.
A way has to be found to sue these ultraright churches just like the Southern Poverty Law Center did when they sued and broke the back of the KKK. A Federal hate crimes law like the one the Democrats junked would be an invaluable asset in these situations.
How many more murders and beatings before we get one?
Posted by: Bill Perdue, RainbowRED | Jun 19, 2008 11:32:56 PM
You're absolutely right, Bill. I don't want to be prejudiced against any particular ethnic group, but wasn't it a Slavic immigrant who murdered Bill Cosby's son also.
Please don't come to this country to further inflame racial, ethnic & anti-gay sentiments. (Am I wrong for saying that?)
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jun 20, 2008 11:05:31 AM
The Sacramento Bee story seems to make it clear that this guy (no doubt a complete jerk of the highest order) didn't do the punching that ultimately resulted in the death of Singh. He was part of the taunting group, but not the perpetrator of the attack. That guy has gone back to Russia to escape arrest. Thus the prosecutors can't charge this particular man with manslaughter -- and apparently the jury was divided on whether there was enough convincing evidence to commit the guy of a hate crime. While we might just assume (and maybe rightly) that he's guilty, there's a different standard in a court of law, and we have to respect that, for our own good, as well.
Posted by: Boston | Jun 22, 2008 9:47:52 AM