Thread: PA-U.S. reviews beating death of immigrant for charges

Posted on Wed, May. 6, 2009


U.S. reviews beating death of immigrant for charges



POTTSVILLE, Pa. - Two teens acquitted of the most serious state charges in the beating death of a Mexican immigrant could face federal charges.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is reviewing evidence surrounding the fatal fight last summer between high school football players and illegal immigrant Luis Ramirez in predominantly white Schuylkill County, spokesman Alejandro Miyar said yesterday.

A Schuylkill County Court jury last week acquitted Brandon Piekarsky, 17, of third-degree murder and ethnic intimidation and Derrick Donchak, 19, of aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation. Both were convicted of simple assault.

They are from the small blue-collar town of Shenandoah, where the July 12 fight occurred when Ramirez, 25, was walking with a 15-year-old girlfriend and encountered a group of teens, at least some of whom had been drinking.

The case has exposed racial tensions in the area, which has attracted Hispanic immigrants in search of farm and factory work.

"The Civil Rights Division is reviewing the evidence, to determine if there is a prosecutable violation of federal civil-rights statutes," Miyar said.

Another defendant, Colin Walsh, 17, pleaded guilty to a federal civil-rights charge and testified at the trial, admitting he threw a punch that knocked Ramirez unconscious. He could be out of prison in four years. Brian Scully, 18, is charged in juvenile court with aggravated assault and ethnic intimidation.

Defense lawyer Robert Fanelli argued that Ramirez was the lone adult at the scene and contributed to the fatal fight. He also argued that prosecutors offered leniency to key witnesses.

The simple-assault convictions carry a possible one- to two-year prison term. Sentencing has not been scheduled. Donchak was also convicted of corruption of minors and an alcohol charge.

Immigration-rights advocates attended the trial on behalf of Ramirez's family and later called for federal charges.


http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20 ... arges.html

Had he NOT been in this country (Illegally) this would never have happened. Illegally being in the United States is a huge aggravating factor in all crimes involving Illegal Aliens on both sides of the coin.

They cannout put these kids on trial twice! That's Double Jeapardy.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

They cannout put these kids on trial twice! That's Double Jeapardy.

W

I read somewhere that they aren't trying to go after them on murder charges or anything like that, they are trying to charge them for violating the illegal alien's civil rights.

Different day, different charges......they just want to DESTROY these kids.

I'm writing the Civil Rights Commission to ask when the last time an illegal alien Mexican has been charged with violating the civil rights of an American they have victimized.

Originally Posted by azwreath

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

They cannout put these kids on trial twice! That's Double Jeapardy.

W

I read somewhere that they aren't trying to go after them on murder charges or anything like that, they are trying to charge them for violating the illegal alien's civil rights.

Different day, different charges......they just want to DESTROY these kids.

I'm writing the Civil Rights Commission to ask when the last time an illegal alien Mexican has been charged with violating the civil rights of an American they have victimized.

Yes!! Good point, maybe you can send that letter to the editor for the opinion page in this PA towns paper.

Immigrant's death may be labeled hate crime
comments (15)
Web Posted: 05/06/2009 2:48 CDT

Recommend 0 By Gary Martin - Express-News WASHINGTON — The Justice Department acknowledged Wednesday it has launched an investigation of the death of a Mexican immigrant in Pennsylvania to see if it should be prosecuted as a hate crime.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Hispanic rights groups had been pressuring for such a probe after an all-white jury acquitted two teenagers on state charges of ethnic intimidation and third-degree murder, convicting them on a lesser charge of simple assault.

Alejandro Miyar, a Justice Department spokesman, confirmed that the “Civil Rights Division is reviewing the evidence to detemine whether there is a prosecutable violation of federal civil rights statutes.â€

Originally Posted by kimnorth

Originally Posted by azwreath

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

They cannout put these kids on trial twice! That's Double Jeapardy.

W

I read somewhere that they aren't trying to go after them on murder charges or anything like that, they are trying to charge them for violating the illegal alien's civil rights.

Different day, different charges......they just want to DESTROY these kids.

I'm writing the Civil Rights Commission to ask when the last time an illegal alien Mexican has been charged with violating the civil rights of an American they have victimized.

Yes!! Good point, maybe you can send that letter to the editor for the opinion page in this PA towns paper.

Anyone planning on writing an LTE, send it to me and I will get it out to all the local papers (including the one circulated in Shenandoah).

Here's something else I don't understand.

The Civil Rights Division is reviewing the evidence, to determine if there is a prosecutable violation of federal civil-rights statutes," Miyar said.


The Civil Rights Division got involved in this as an investigational agency to determine if these boys could be prosecuted for federal civil rights violations.

But, straight from the Civil Rights Office page at the Office of Health and Human Services site, this is what the Civil Rights Division has to say:

Civil Rights

While the Office for Civil Rights enforces certain laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination, we generally do not enforce laws and regulations that apply to housing, police or law enforcement, the courts, prisons or employment. To learn about civil rights enforcement in these and other areas enforced by other agencies, please see our Civil Rights Enforcement Through Other Agencies page.


If this is NOT one of the responsibilities of the Civil Rights Divsion and they "generally" do not get involved in issue involving the courts, then WHY did they insert themsleves into this matter?

It seems to me that they have overstepped and have done so at the behest of special interests.

Marguia likes to run her mouth about what THEY won't tolerate. Well, what about what WE won't tolerate?

There really needs to be a big effort to push back on this one. The trial is over, the jury made it's decision, that's how our system works. There is no way that these special interests should be allowed to get away with using our system for the purposes of badgering and harassing these boys until, if and when, they get a "verdict" THEY like. And if they're allowed to do it this time, they will continue to do it.

It's got to stop.


http://www.hhs.gov/

So how do we stop it?

In other news, a man named Mella in Florida is putting together a rally to protest the verdict, this coming July. He's bringing people in from FL, NY, NJ and other states. The residents of Shen are ticked off. They don't want these guys coming into their town. And besides, it wasn't "shenandoah" that gave the verdict, it was 12 representatives of the whole Schuylkill County.

And there wasn't enough evidence to convict, anyway.

It sickens me that so many will stick up for the child-raping illegal alien drug dealer, yet the same people want to see American teens hung for sefending themselves.

MALDEF and the National Council of La Raza, which monitored the Pennsylvania case, want it reclassified as a hate crime.

This was not a "hate crime". The teens lives are ruined enough without racists groups trying to make matters worse. Lately it seems that there are alot more Hispanics committing crimes than anyone else here in America. Should they all be charged with "hate crimes" too?