only three years. . . man are they so rough Rocket River http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/01/10/teens.lynching/index.html Teens sent to prison for lynching Judge: 'You are an embarrassment to the community' By Ann O'Neill CNN Tuesday, January 10, 2006; Posted: 6:00 p.m. EST (23:00 GMT) Scott Christopher Cates, 17, is led from a South Carolina court after being sentenced. South Carolina Racism Crime, Law and Justice or Create Your Own Manage Alerts | What Is This? (CNN) -- Moments before their trial was to begin, five white South Carolina youths admitted their roles in a mob attack on a black teen and received prison sentences from a judge who called their actions "despicable" and "cowardly." The teens, ages 17 and 18, tearfully stood before Judge Doyet Early with heads bowed as the judge gave them sentences ranging from 2 1/2 to six years in state prison. Their victim, Isaiah Clyburn, 17, said through his lawyer that he forgave them. "He holds no hatred in his heart for what they did," attorney Trey Gowdy said. Teens plead guilty Before lawyers could begin opening statements Tuesday, the teens pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and battery and second degree lynching. South Carolina legally defines lynching as a mob attack against an individual where the victim survives. Prosecutors said the five, riding to a nearby drag strip in three pickup trucks, accosted Clyburn on July 7 as he walked along a rural road in Cherokee County, South Carolina.(Watch a case that recalls a dark era -- 3:09) One of the defendants shouted a racial slur. Another, identified as Christopher Scott Cates, challenged Clyburn to a fight, and the others surrounded Clyburn, beating and kicking him, prosecutors said. Clyburn, who did not know any of his assailants, tried to run to a friend's house, but couldn't scale a barbed wire fence. The beating continued across the road and into a ditch, according to prosecutors. Afterwards, prosecutors said, defendant Lucas Grice climbed back into his truck and showed his class ring to a female passenger, bragging, "This is where I got (him) in the head." "You're not the only one who got some good licks in," another defendant said, according to prosecutors. "When you think of lynching, it goes back to days we've advanced from," said state Rep. Karl Allen, speaking on behalf of the Clyburn family. The attack, he added, "has put a shackle on Isaiah's mind that he's trying to work from." Attorneys plead for mercy Each of the defense attorneys asked for mercy, one calling his client a churchgoing boy who made a foolish mistake. Another attorney repeatedly referred to the incident as a fight. But the judge was unmoved. "You're an embarrassment to the community and yourselves," Judge Early told the defendants. "You acted in a despicable, cowardly way." "Sending young men to jail is not fun," Early said. "It's something that I hate to do." But, he added, state prison sentences are needed "to send a message to our community and our state that we will not tolerate this type of behavior." Cates, 17, who was identified as the instigator, tearfully apologized: "I just want to say I'm sorry to the family for everything that happened. I hope everybody forgives me. I made a mistake. I'm sorry." The judge told Cates, "Unfortunately, in this society, I have to punish you and you have to stand forward like a man and take that punishment." A few minutes later, he handed Cates the harshest sentence: six years in prison, five years probation and 400 hours of community service. Judge sends a message Three others -- Justin Ashley Phillips, 18; Kenneth Eugene Miller Jr., 18; and Grice, 17 -- received three-year sentences for lynching, along with five years probation and 300 hours of community service. Jerry Christopher Toney, 18, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, five years probation and 300 hours of community service. Grice apologized directly to Clyburn. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened to you," he said through tears. The judge said he felt a responsibility "to send a message to this community and this state that anybody who wants to act with mob violence towards an individual, they're going to the State Department of Corrections for a period of time." He pointed out that the "ugly, ugly, ugly situation" had cast a shadow of "adverse and nasty publicity on our community," adding, "It just takes one incident like this to tell the world we are a backward, hating type of community." Several passersby, who helped Clyburn and called police, were present in the courtroom but did not speak. Clyburn's family moved after the attack and are still coming to terms with what happened, Gowdy said.
isn't there a greater minimum sentence for hate crimes? for getting caught for lynching with witnesses around
Three years in Prison for beating up a guy? Yeah, I'd say that's fair. I got beat up by a group in high-school. They got nothing.
I'm guessing you aren't black, and it wasn't a group of redneck white boys who beat your ass. Then again, it probably was a redneck group of white boys. Than again again, you probably deserved it.
Oh no, it was a bunch of Redneck white boys with a huge rebel flag flying off the back of their pickup. But you're right; I'm not black. And I've deserved a lot of whoopin's in my lifetime, but this was simply 4 guys looking to beat someone up. They literally flew out of the truck and started picking a fight, which is pretty easy to do when it is 4 against 1. I got hit multiply and finally kicked in the face. I was in the hospital for a couple of days, lost a tooth, and had several stitches. It was BS what these idiots did. But it wasn't like it hadn't happened before. And even if they had been caught, I still would think 3 years a piece was excessive.
Oh, that's right I forgot...crimes are worse when the victims are of a different race. Let this be a lesson to all: if you're going to use violence against another human, you better be damn sure that human has the same color skin that you do.
There are no particular crimes that are more damaging to a community and have a greater historical and social significance solely based on the characteristics of the victim?
i almost got mugged by a group black kids and knocked to the ground and called the NYPD, their reponse time were soo nice, they came only 1 and 1/2 hours after it happend IMHO, the cops in NYC are racist as hell.
That's why you need to carry some heat on you at all times, keeps the bad guys away. Also it helps when you have connections with the mob.
That's an interesting comment... Is racial lynching as psychologically traumatic as some forms of rape?
Society assesses the severity of crimes based on the thinking/intent of the perpetrator. That's why premeditated murder is worse than manslaughter, even though the victim is just as dead. And that's why assault that's based on hate is worse than regular assault.
No the NYPD are understaffed and are too busy investigatings murders, rapes, arsons and assaults that put people in the hospital than to respond quickly to every single mugging call.
This is the saddest thing I have read in a long time. We shouldn't give victims special status because they were a victim of a "hate" crime. Where would you draw the line? What if 5 kids from a lower social class beat up a kid from the upper class due to their hatred of his social status? Wouldn't that qualify as a hate crime? Is the victim any more of a victim because of it?
You could do that or you could be even smarter and learn to always be aware of your surroundings, don't put yourself in dangerous or even questionable situations, stay in well lit areas with lots of people, keep in mind escape routes, maintain a confident attitude, and not needlessly make eye contact. Self-defense is mostly about avoidance. Getting a gun is good but its far from guarenteed. Very few people can draw a gun, release the safety aim and get a shot off in time if they are being attacked at close range.
If you're gang beaten by the color of your skin, then you'd feel vulnerable over something you have no control over. It's why I asked the rape question....
I don't understand... Are you saying that most victims have control over whether or not theyre attacked? If that's the case, why would anyone ever get attacked?
No, I'm saying you could shrug it off easier if it was something you've done or some choice you made (wearing flashy clothes or avoiding alleys at night). Your point was that there's no difference in the beating without race involved. The incident was random and the only trigger the victim knows is that he was black. Should he start wearing makeup so he can walk down roads?
