(Pat Hernandez, KUHF Public Radio)
Under the federal hate crime law, three men are convicted for the brutal beating of a black man at a downtown Houston bus stop. They are the first in Houston to be tried under the law.
The three were convicted of attacking Yondell Johnson at the intersection of McKinney and Travis downtown, under the federal Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr hate crime law.
Shortly before the beating, the trio apparently shouted racial slurs, and under state law they could have been charged with misdemeanor assault. But the federal government stepped in and made the charges tougher.
The victim was not present, but community activist Quannel X spoke on behalf of Johnson outside the courthouse: “We commend the federal government, we commend the Department of Justice for doing the right and just thing in this case, and I believe that the court today sent a very clear message, that white supremacists and white supremest groups not be tolerated.”
Federal Judge Kenneth Hoyt gave 33 yr old Brian Kerstetter the longest sentence, 77 months. 26 year old Charles Cannon got 37 months and 41 yr old Michael McLaughlin was sentenced to 30 months. McLaughlin and Kerstetter apologized in court, but Cannon’s attorney told Judge Hoyt his client was sorry.
Prosecutors took note of their troubled upbringing, but told them they must be accountable for their actions.
Robert Moossy is with the Department of Justice’s civil rights division: “Those three defendants were sentenced, in what of the first applications of that law in the country and the first application of that law here in Texas, to recognize the hard work of both state and federal law enforcement, to try to bring some justice to these kinds of crimes. In the last year, the Department Of Justice has convicted more defendants of hate crimes, than in the prior decade.”
Prosecutors say there was no motive other than the victim’s race. And because of the color of his skin, the three men attacked him — punching and kicking him for several minutes.
(Hear the full story at the KUHF Public Radio)
FURTHER COVERAGE:
• Self-Described Supremacists Get Prison for Racially-Motivated Beating (KRIV 26 News)
• 3 Whites Get Prison for Beating Black Man at Downtown Bus Stop (Houston Chronicle)
• 3 Men Convicted of Racially-Driven Beating Sentenced in Court (KHOU 11 News)
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