"Immigrant's beating death not a hate crime, Pa. jury decides" by Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press | May 3, 2009
POTTSVILLE, Pa. - Prosecutors called the beating death of an illegal immigrant from Mexico a hate crime, and they urged an all-white jury in Pennsylvania coal country to punish two white teenagers for their roles in the attack.
Can't you just charge them for the act? Isn't motive Part of the case? Why a SEPARATE CHARGE?
Related: Corruption runs rampant in Pa. coal country
Instead, the jury found the teens not guilty of all of the most serious charges, a decision that elicited cheers from the defendants' families and friends - and cries of outrage from the victim's.
Brandon Piekarsky, 17, was acquitted of third-degree murder and ethnic intimidation, while Derrick Donchak, 19, was acquitted of aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation. Both were convicted of simple assault....
"There's been a complete failure of justice." said Gladys Limon, staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Yesterday, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund's interim president, Henry Solano, called on the Justice Department to "bring justice to the Ramirez family and send a strong message that violence targeting immigrants will not be tolerated."
Why should VIOLENCE TARGETING ANYONE be tolerated?
Who carved out an exemption for you guys?
Prosecutors had cast 25-year-old Hispanic man Luis Ramirez as the victim of a gang of drunk white teens motivated by a dislike of their small coal town's burgeoning Hispanic population. But the jury sided with defense attorneys, who called Ramirez the aggressor and characterized the brawl as a street fight that ended tragically.
Jury foreman Eric Macklin said he sympathized with Ramirez's loved ones but that the evidence pointed to an acquittal....
Hey, we can't be going by evidence now!
What do you think this is, a courtroo.... oh.
The case exposed ethnic tensions in Shenandoah, a blue-collar town of 5,000 that has lured Hispanic residents drawn by inexpensive housing and jobs in nearby factories and farm fields....
Yeah, the illegals come and take up the jobs and none of us are supposed to be angry. That doesn't justify the violence, but....
The fight began late July 12 when half a dozen teens, all Shenandoah residents who played football at Shenandoah Valley High School, were walking home from a block party and came across Ramirez and his 15-year-old girlfriend in a park.
Isn't that STATUTORY RAPE for a 25-YEAR-OLD MAN?
All of a sudden any empathy just washed away.
And maybe you ought to start rethinking the football worship, AmeriKa!!!
Words were exchanged, and a fight ensued, with Ramirez being punched and kicked.
The two sides eventually went their separate ways. But defendant Brian Scully,18, kept yelling at Ramirez, leading Ramirez to charge after the group. Colin Walsh, 17, then hit Ramirez, knocking him out.
How come it is okay for a cop to taunt people?
"Does Mr. Ramirez fit the description of an innocent soul who just happened to get picked on by a group of kids?" defense attorney Fred Fanelli asked jurors in closing arguments. "He's the only adult, and he makes some bad choices."
Honor was at stake, right?
Robert Franz, the prosecutor, denied any misconduct on the part of the district attorney's office [and] told the jurors, "He was assaulted and he was beaten, and he was killed for walking the streets of Shenandoah. He didn't deserve that."
No, he didn't, but what misconduct?
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WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Court papers say Pennsylvania police officers accused of covering up the killing of a Mexican immigrant had personal ties to high school football players accused of a hate crime in the case....
Gotta support the team!
The confrontation began when a half-dozen high school football players were headed home from a block party in Shenandoah, once a nearly all-white town 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia that has attracted Hispanic immigrants with jobs in factories and farm fields. They came across Ramirez, 25, and his 15-year-old girlfriend in a park.
The age difference really bugs me.
A dispute occurred, and the football players made ethnic slurs, though lawyers disputed who said what. Defense lawyers called Ramirez the aggressor.
Soon Ramirez and Piekarsky were trading punches. Donchak wound up on top of Ramirez. Prosecutors said he pummeled Ramirez while gripping a small piece of metal to give his punches more power; defense attorneys denied he had a weapon.
The fight wound down, but the dispute continued. Ramirez was knocked out by a punch to the face. Prosecutors said he was killed by Piekarsky’s kick to the head; lawyers said another teen delivered the fatal blow.
Didn't have to do that!
Ramirez, a native of the small central Mexican town of Iramuco, was in the United States illegally working at various jobs.
Again, it doesn't justify killing anyone; however, can you see why there are no jobs for Americans?
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