GUILTY FL - Five teens for video beating of 16yo girl, Highland City, 2008

[JBean]

I think it takes alot to give up on someone who is just a teen.
When you sentence someone to life in prison, you are basically saying that they are beyond rehabilitation.

A gang rape...I would have had NO PROBLEM.
How much time did they get?

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1040658.php

interestingly:

Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno acknowledged it was “rare” for a prison sentence to be handed down to first-time offenders as well as those who were minors at the time of the crime. But Briseno said he was troubled by their lack of remorse.

 

[JBean]

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1040658.php

interestingly:

Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno acknowledged it was “rare” for a prison sentence to be handed down to first-time offenders as well as those who were minors at the time of the crime. But Briseno said he was troubled by their lack of remorse.

a little more:

The three men were convicted a year ago of sexually assaulting the then-16-year-old Jane Doe at Don Haidl’s Corona del Mar home in July 2002. They were teens at the time of the crime but were charged as adults.
What made this case unique – and of interest nationally – is that the crime was recorded on videotape. Greg Haidl taped the assault, then left it at a friend’s beach house in Newport Beach. The tape was handed over to police and became the prosecution’s main evidence. The public has not been allowed to view the video

Authorities say the videotape shows Jane Doe being assaulted with a pool cue. Rap music blares and the defendants laugh and mug for the camera during the 21-minute encounter

 

[FlowerGirl]

Boy, we just moved to Polk County Florida and it is pretty scarry here. We moved here from Modesto, Ca and people here say oh you'll love Florida it is so much more laid back than California and it is so much safer.

We went to enroll my grandson in middle school here and took one look at the school and said no way. After researching the school found people on the internet comparing it to the school from the movie "The Principal" starring James Belushi. On city-data.com the message boards talk about how rough the kids are in this county also. I really wish that we hade found that website before we moved here. We decided to homeschool my grandson.



The teenagers involved in this beating have surppased the "Out Of Control" stigma. This beating is so much more than that. What kind of logic is in ....I think we should beat this girl and post it on the internet since she is saying things that make us look bad. That don't make much sense. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior period.

I personally don't understand why there is not an attempted murder charge. I cannot believe that after she had already passed out from their beating that she came to only to be beaten more. This to me is attemped murder.

Also, my stomach turned as I watched the girls in court today. Forgive me as I forgot which girl's lawyer it was that basically said that her client was less copable than the others as she did not go and pick the victim up or beat the victim. My questions are Was she there? Did she try to stop it? Did she cheer on the girls that were actually beating this girl?

The girls that watched and cheered on the beating are also breaking the law...I think that is called Criminal Solicitaion.

I don't know this case just makes me really really ill.


FlowerGirl

 

[panglossian]

I'm not for life imprisonment, either.
I'd like to see them spend their college years being incarcerated so they don't have celebrity status on campus with their age group peers.
It would also be great to see them make financial restitution or compensation, which ever is larger, to Victoria and her family. And I don't mean with the parent's money.

 

[csds703]

a little more:

The three men were convicted a year ago of sexually assaulting the then-16-year-old Jane Doe at Don Haidl’s Corona del Mar home in July 2002. They were teens at the time of the crime but were charged as adults.
What made this case unique – and of interest nationally – is that the crime was recorded on videotape. Greg Haidl taped the assault, then left it at a friend’s beach house in Newport Beach. The tape was handed over to police and became the prosecution’s main evidence. The public has not been allowed to view the video

Authorities say the videotape shows Jane Doe being assaulted with a pool cue. Rap music blares and the defendants laugh and mug for the camera during the 21-minute encounter

They only got 6 years? UGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder how many years of therapy the victim will require?

I think the biggest part of these crimes that freaks me out is the videotaping, like this is entertainment.:furious: This is truly frightening.

 

[MeoW333]

They should all get at the very least 10 years not including "good time" so they do exactly at the least 10 years. Turn them into an example of what happens to kids who practice this kind of behavior. They wanted to get their 15 mins of fame; now they pay the price for such brutal behavior. I don't understand the mothers of those who attacked Victoria defending their daughters. It's right there on the video. If their parents can't teach them consequences, then the state has to, and that means years in prison.

 

[Lurker]

Apparently some of them even thought the bail hearing was funny.
http://www.local6.com/news/15858832/detail.html


Um, are these kids delusional or something???

"Stephen Schumaker and Zachary Ashley are accused of acting as lookouts during the attack.

Schumaker, the only one of the eight arrested to be released from jail, told Local 6 that his family is receiving death threats from all over the United States.

"I don't see why I'm even in this whole situation," Schumaker said in an interview for Local 6"

ahhh, because you stood watch like a freaking moron!

 

[tempusfugit]

Apparently some of them even thought the bail hearing was funny.
http://www.local6.com/news/15858832/detail.html

I wonder how funny it's going to be to them after a few years in prison, bet they won't be giggling then!

 

[JanetElaine]

we had a terrible video'ed gang rape here in orange County a few years ago. I mean the whole thing was disgusting and captured on tape. the first jury was HUNG! Part of it was because they knew that the teenage perps could put put away for 50 plus years and they just couldn;t be a part of it. So the second time around they dropped 1/2 the charges so they could get a jury that would be comfortable convicting. They were convicted btw.

Juries shouldn't know in advance about the possible punishment, IMO. This just confirms that for me. Glad it ended up 'good' though.

 

[winston]

After looking through Mercades myspace page I wanted to puke. All of her "friends" are wannabe thugs and there were more than a couple of teen moms and moms to be. I think they need to put birth control in the soda fountains down there.
:sick:

 

[panglossian]

I must have missed it but does anyone know what exactly Victoria posted on her MySpace page about the other girls that they used as an excuse to maul and tape her?

The judge warned them not to talk about any of this to the media. Mercades'
mother evidently doesn't seem to fall under this order.

 

[RiverRat]

I must have missed it but does anyone know what exactly Victoria posted on her MySpace page about the other girls that they used as an excuse to maul and tape her?

The judge warned them not to talk about any of this to the media. Mercades'
mother evidently doesn't seem to fall under this order.

Sounds like whatever Victoria posted must be true according to the actions of the Rah-Rah Crew. But after witnessing the mother of Mercades whine that the phone calls made to her home are far worse that what these lovely little ladies did to their victim, I can see where her daughter got her brains from......

 

[RiverRat]

Mercades MySpace seems to be gone now - but this mother's isn't.

http://www.myspace.com/pumpkinpie74

 

[Taximom]

Holy smokes, does this lady really seriously have a company called "Slumber Parties by Christina"??!!

 

[JBean]

Juries shouldn't know in advance about the possible punishment, IMO. This just confirms that for me. Glad it ended up 'good' though.

The reality is they shouldn't know but they are not supposed to weigh it in anyway. Their job is to determine guilt or innocence.

 

[Taximom]

Oh, it's a bachelorette/adult type party. :doh:

 

[JBean]

Mercades MySpace seems to be gone now - but this mother's isn't.

http://www.myspace.com/pumpkinpie74

>>About me:
PET PEEVE: LIARS...WORK A LITTLE LIVE A LITTLE...WHY ALIVE? TO KEEP ON LIVING! FATE: UNKNOWN PEOPLE PLEASE JUST FOLLOW THIS STORY, MY DAUGHTER IS NOT THE ONE WHO BEAT HER! I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN GUILT BY ASSOCIATION BUT SHE WAS SCARED TO CALL THE POLICE OR SHE WOULD GET THE CRAP BEAT OUT OF HER. DO I BELIEVE SHE SHOULD BE SET FREE AND NOT GET ANYTHING?? NO, I THINK SHE SHOULD GET SOMETHING BUT BEING ONE OF THE TOP 3 THAT HAVE THE MOST CHARGES WHILE THE OTHERS GET LESS CHARGES!

 

[JBean]

This girl is getting harrassed. Note her disclaimer:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=81072514

 

[RiverRat]

Save

Our

State

 

[JBean]

Bondsman: Dr. Phil Posted Bond For Teen Accused Of Ringleading Videotaped Beating


The teen accused of masterminding a videotaped "animalistic" attack against a fellow teenage classmate is out on bond, and she has celebrity talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw to thank for it, according to a bail bondsman.

The bondsman told media gathered at a Polk County jail Friday that Dr. Phil posted Mercedes Nichols' $30,000 bond.

When Nichols was released from jail, a man arrived and idenfitied himself as a Dr. Phil producer

http://www.wftv.com/news/15865443/detail.html