POTTSVILLE, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- A Pennsylvania jury began deliberations Friday after hearing closing arguments in the trial of two high school football players accused in the beating death of a Mexican immigrant last summer.Brandon Piekarsky, 17, is charged with third-degree murder, ethnic intimidation and other offenses for the death of Luis Ramirez, who died of blunt force injuries to the head after a fight on a residential street in the rural mining town of Shenandoah.
Derrick Donchak, 19, is charged with aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation for his alleged role in the July 12 melee, which prosecutors say was racially motivated.
Schuylkill County prosecutors said the defendants and their friends encountered Ramirez after a night of drinking while the undocumented Mexican immigrant was walking a female friend home.A physical altercation ensued and ended. But as Ramirez was walking away, someone in the group shouted racial epithets, prompting Ramirez to resume a fight that ended with him convulsing in the street and foaming from the mouth, according to prosecutors.
He died two days later in a hospital in Danville.
An all-white jury of six men and six women heard testimony from several prosecution witnesses, including a juvenile co-defendant and another teen who pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in the fight.
Piekarsky allegedly kicked Ramirez in the head after someone else knocked him to the ground, exacerbating head injuries he'd suffered in the initial fall. Donchak was accused of cursing at him and punching him during a confused tangle of punches, kicks and racial slurs.
While the jury heard conflicting accounts about who initiated the encounter or delivered the final kick to Ramirez's head, defense lawyers attempted to place the blame on co-defendant Brian Scully, who is facing charges in juvenile court, and Colin Walsh, who has pleaded guilty to violating Ramirez's civil rights.
Scully admitted on the stand to shouting "go home you Mexican [expletive]" after the first fight dispersed, prompting Ramirez to turn back and attack him.
Scully's testimony was corroborated by Walsh, who admitted to punching Ramirez and knocking him to the ground after he charged Scully.Both witnesses said Piekarsky delivered the final blow to Ramirez's head while he was on the ground, but others testified that they couldn't be certain who had actually kicked him.
The incident drew national attention to the small town of Shenandoah, highlighting issues of race relations.
The defendants face prison time if convicted of the top charges.
31 comments:
As a white American male, I think the American kids who clearly are responsible for this, should all be publically hung (capital punishment). Let's send the message out that no matter who you are, or where you are from, that this behavior will NOT be tolerated towards ANY human being for ANY reason.
Those American kids are absolute bigots. There should be no place for such crude and horrible acts of violence ANYWHERE in America. And how could the prosecution allow for an all white jury? Goes to show that those f****** HICKS in Shenandoah are good for nothing.
I partially agree with you but my concern isn't with the perpetrators so much as it is with that sorry excuse for a judge. How did that inbred hick get appointed in the first place? It's ironic that that an African American man has been elected to president, and yet this despicable show of racism and intolerance is accepted as if we are still living in 1969. It's surreal. Am I dreaming? ... or having a nightmare??
The aquittal of these white teenagers to a much lesser charge just makes me sick to my stomache. In the Jena 6 case, the black teenager was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Shame on those 12 white jury members. Shame, shame, shame!!!
Anonymous-
Your idea of a punishment seems kind of harsh, but I do agree they must be punished and that this behavior should not be tolerated.
Wow, so it's open season on Hispanics in PA. Some things never change - jocks who will grow into adults with an entitlement mentality because, hey we murdered someone and got away with it. Only one adult? How about the 19 year old guy buying the beer. Jury composed of all white peers. Oh wait the victim wasn't white was he? Oh well, simple assault.
This is why the common law countries are increasingly qualm about using the jury system for criminal cases, while the opposite trend is true for civil law countries. I can't prove there hasn't been any bias in the jury's decision, but please, a bunch of underage drunken kids calling out on a person for his race and beating him up to death and getting acquitted of all those charges? One doesn't have to be a genius to see something doesn't strike the right tone here.
This is unbelievable...can this really be happening in America? I am sickened that these boys could get away with what they did to that poor man, not only for the man's sake but because now those boys will truly beleive that they are above the law...that they can indeed get away with MURDER.
If this had happened to an African American kid, heads would have rolled. But since racisms against immigrants (legal, or illegal) is accepted in this country, then killing an innocent human being is cool.
It's disturbing and disgusting that there seems to be no justice in this case. That jury should be so ashamed of themselves. Regardless of how those boys looked on the outside, they are all monsters and every last one of them is as guilty as the next, from the one who made the final blow to the ones who watched. I do hope karma pays them all a visit.
An all white jury... history repeats itself
they told him to go back to mexico, clearly he didnt have a strong grasp of the english language b/c he came back to them instead. oh well
another one who gets the liberal spin from the media...As an american male, were you at the trial? Or just believing what the liberal media spoon feeds to you? They were found guilty of the correct charge, period.
Clearly no one here has read the actual court testimony, rather reading the sensationalism created by the media. There is one teen who is being charged in federal court for Mr. Ramirez's death. There was so much reasonable doubt concerning these two teens that they could not be charged. Although it is quite saddening what happened to Mr. Ramirez he too had a part in this. Get the actual court testimnoy and then make your replies.
They need to be punished.
To those stating about the all-white jury. I think the jury was picked via voter registration, so if the Hispanics are not voters, then how can they be chosen to sit on a jury? Also, that area of the state is almost all white. What should they have done? Paid transportation, meals, and hotels for outsiders to sit on the jury?
Luis Ramirez did not get full justice and the verdict should have been harsher. Aggravated assault is one I can think of, but what is not being written here is that Luis Ramirez did throw the first punch.
Go to Pottsville Republican newspaper and read it. There was also a live blog from the courthouse. Don't know if it's still up, but you can get info from the newspaper.
Find out the whole story. Mr. Ramirez was sexually involved with the 15 year old girl the newspaper calls a "friend". The initial fight was broken up when Ramirez called several of his friends (documented on the cell phone records) to join him to fight the locals, and then Ramirez started the fight again (as documented by Ramirez's friends in court) when he was hit and killed. Ramirez's action also led to his death. It wasn't a racial killing, it was a fight where unfortunately someone died.
I wish these hick kids would have just tied him up and dropped him off at a local INS office for deportation. This murder sickens me as much as our immigration enforcement policy.
The so-called "15-year-old friend" actually stated in court that she was engaged to Ramirez, was the really the half-sister of the woman he was living with and had 2 kids with, so....
to the guy who said that his actions led to his death even if that is true it by no means justifies simple assault simple assault is 2 guys at a bar and one gets a broken nose and a shiner not foam from the mouth and convulsions on the ground that is deadly force and anyone whos been in a fight can probbaly tell when someones had enough you don't stomp on his head manslaughter is what the charge should have been and what they should have been convicted of
Well if I were a family or friend of Mr. Ramirez, I would certainly take out revenge on my own. Sometimes when the law fails you, you need to take matters in your own hands!
The question on all of this is not whether or not they commited the crime because they did...the problem here is the law says you cannot convict with reasonable doubt. If any of you had followed the entire case you would know that all people involved had a different story. They did a good job of proving doubt as to who actually did the fatal kicking. The law is the law and for all of you putting the blame on the jury it is not their fault that the prosecution did not prove their case. The jury followed the rules of the court and it's simple they didnt have enough proof to convict. See it how you want but it is what it is. Unfortunately none of us were there the night of the fight so we don't know clearly what went down and how this all came to be. Yes it sucks that he died but it wasn't like the kids went out and said lets go find a mexican and kill him.
"Well if I were a family or friend of Mr. Ramirez, I would certainly take out revenge on my own. Sometimes when the law fails you, you need to take matters in your own hands!"
That's just what we need.. more illegals. You think you've got a backlash now, let's see what happens when a couple of his family members come up to PA looking for payback and are promptly disappeared.
This is not the answer.
I do believe that someone needs to do the research of the population in this little county. And i do believe that you have to have a ss# to become a registered voter and to be picked for a jury. maybe just maybe the population of the county is predominately white. So i guess that makes the entire county racist? And did anyone ever look at the fact that the one person who did take the final blows never was arrested...maybe this whole case isn't over just yet. And for all those judging on the entire county or even the entire state of PA about being bigots, racists etc. Shame on you for judging people on a whole. Thats racisim at its finest!
How awful that a jury would not convict these teens of murder. No matter what the curcomstances they murdered this person. shame on the jury!!!!! What is this world coming to
May God forgive the jurors.
As soon as i read "all white jury" I knew this was going to happen.
THIS is why minoritys dont turst white americans or the justice system. In 2050 it on.
It's insane that race has to enter into this at all. A man was murdered in cold blood - black, white, red, green or purple - who cares? Murder is murder. Fire the judge, get a REAL jury and re-try the case!
I live in Pottsville and i have a comment on the all white jury statements that you all have been making. Think of this if these illegal immigrants were here legally then they just might of had a few of their peers on the jury. We have a good mix of people here and it's not at all about them being all white..it's about proof and they didn't have much. Are they guilty yes can it be proven without doubt? NO!! I could tell you i have 10,000 bucks in my pocket until you see it would you believe me?
@ the "liberal media" comment: what the hell does the "liberal media" have to do with anything? It's amazing how inarticulate and shallow people can be. For one, do you mean like Fox type liberal media? Because they sure are real liberal over there. Second, why do people blame absolutely everything on the liberal media? If you agree or disagree with something be an adult, articulate your thoughts and stop acting like a child complaining about an unfair teacher. If you honestly think that the justice system always gets it right, I hope you never get arrested whether you're guilty or not.
When I became an attorney, I went in with an idealized concept of the criminal justice system and now I realize how arbitrary it is. I have seen some shameful, shameful decisions.
The minorities doing all the work the whities don't want to do...seems to me, they should put these "nice all American boys, that were minding there own business", to do the work this poor man was doing out in the fields!
I hope the people of Shenandoah can sleep peacefully at night, because by their actions they have murdered the concept of "Justice" in that part of Pennsylvania.
These juveniles by getting a slap on the wrist, probably feel on top of the world right about now.
After all, they have taken someones life, without any consequences.
The town, should be very..very worried, because these boys didn't demostrate any conscience when they killed Mr. Ramirez, and that could easily lead them into psychotic behavior.
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